Aurora volunteers firefighters fought a ditch fire on April 12 on S Road between 6 and 7 Roads, also responding to a mutual aid call on Highway 14 and 24 Road Friday night near Marquette.
Aurora Fire Chief Tom Cox stated that area residents should be cautious and vigilant as dry conditions and high winds have created hazardous conditions.
“We haven’t gotten any rain whatsoever,” Cox said. “I mean, we may have gotten a little bit over the weekend, but not near enough to make a difference, especially with the winds we’ve had. I believe the winds are supposed to blow a little bit this week again, so hopefully not as bad as it was over the weekend or last week, but it doesn’t have to be that bad.”
The ditch fire on April 12 was caused even after the burn permit bans were issued, as embers from a pre-burn ban fire was determined to be the cause, according to Cox. He explained that embers of previous burns can linger long after a fire.
“We’ve had (embers last) over a week.” he explained. “If it gets into some trees or something, those embers will stay warm and then the wind picks up.”
He stated that people need to be sure embers are completely out from burns in the past few weeks.
“They need to make sure it’s out for one thing, but then keep an eye on it afterwards,” he said. “You may think it’s out, but embers can stay underneath and stay hot. You’ve got to dig into it. Make sure it’s wet and cold, you know, because it will spark up later if you don’t get it completely out.”
The other fire in Marquette was likely caused by mechanical issues, according to Cox. The fire chief stated that he has no specific advice for farmers out plowing their fields, other than to call as soon as they notice a problem.
“Give us a call early,” he said. “Don’t try and put it out yourself or don’t try and let it go too long, because the longer it goes, the harder it is to stop.”
Gov. Jim Pillen extended a burn ban through April 23 in a move that Cox was satisfied with.
“I applaud it,” he concluded. “The governor issues bans, so I can say he won’t let me when people come and ask for one.”
