Crime & Safety

District 1 Fights Two Brush Fires Wednesday

Conditions means conditions are good for similar fires today.

The combination of low humidity, high winds and a few days of little to no rain will make today a High Fire Danger day, according to the State Forest Fire Service.

Already this week, has had to fight two brush fires, one at about 1 p.m. Thursday at Cherokee Road and Lexington Avenue, and another in at almost 3 p.m., according to Fire Chief Steven Booke.

Chief Booke said firefighters responded to a wooded area on Cherokee after a power line fell and started a small brush fire. The department worked to contain the fire until JCP&L came to turn the power off. The fire was reported at 12:57 p.m. and the department left at 2:04 p.m.

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Later, a fire was reported in Frost Woods at 2:51 p.m. and the department cleared out at 3:40 p.m. In both cases, there was no property damage and about ¼ of an acre was burned, said Chief Booke.

Chief Booke said incidents like the Frost Woods fire often begin though carelessness, such as a discarded cigarette or someone playing with matches. In addition, with winds predicted to hit between 40 and 45 mph today, even a cigarette discarded a good distance away can blow into nearby woods and cause damage.

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Yesterday, the national Weather Service declared a red flag warning, which means that critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly. A combination of strong winds, low relative humidity and warm temperatures will create explosive fire growth potential, according to the weather service.


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