Pair of fire chiefs warn of increased number of fires
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Aurora fire crews responded quickly to a field blaze just south of Aurora at the corner of 10 and S Roads around noon March 2 and were able to contain it.
by Jacob Courtney
Aurora firefighters extinguished a grass fire at 10th and S roads just south of the city at around noon March 2.
Aurora Fire Chief Tom Cox reported that the a pivot caused the fire that burned up to 40 acres of a cornfield.
Cox and Hampton Fire Chief Dane Schafer have recently stopped burn permits in their jurisdiction, stating that the dry weather was a factor that has contributed to many recent fires in Hamilton County.
“This particular time of year, when everything’s brown from the winter and we haven’t got our spring rains yet, we have to stop,” Cox explained. “But this year is particularly bad. It’s dangerously dry out there, so we’re not allowing any burning at all. And that’s why something as little as a pickup truck running in a field can start it on fire.”
Firefighters in Aurora and Hampton have already answered between three and four calls to put out fires last week. Schafer encouraged Hamilton County residents to be careful until rain dampens the chance of a fire raging out of control.
“The biggest thing is be very conscientious,” Schafer said. “We believe most of these are possibly started by a cigarette being thrown out the window. It could be anything, a spark coming off of a vehicle, out of an exhaust pipe for any reason. The biggest thing is just be very aware that everything is very flammable right now and very easily started. Until we get moisture, it’s going to be that way and wind can only make that worse. It dries up any moisture that we have and it’ll push fire if it does get started.”
