The Mercer County Fire Protection District reports a large grass fire on Saturday afternoon and evening on Route Y spread through a nearby cornfield, pasture ground, and timber.
A tractor and disc were used to help slow the spread and contain the blaze. The flames in the timber required crews to walk much of the fire line and extinguish it with hand tools and leaf blowers.
Firefighting crews responded to the Route Y fire, twice, for rekindles. The crews were described as having a hard time containing this fire due to the fire spreading into dead trees and wind blowing the embers which can carry several hundred feet. A spokesman indicated it was not safe to cut down these trees because of the number of trees to be taken down, posing a significant risk to those attempting to fell them.
While on Route Y, fire crews received a mutual aid call for a large fire near Route J and Route JJ which is in the Medicine Creek Fire Protection District. This fire required help from multiple departments. Among those assisting Medicine Creek were Mercer Fire Department, Spickard Fire and Rescue, Galt Fire Protection, and the Milan Fire Department. Firefighters were on the scene for more than four hours.
Earlier in the weekend, the Mercer County Fire Protection District reported it responded to a report of a structure fire on Emblem Road. Crews found an old shed was a total loss and a neighboring shed received damage. A grass fire had spread across a field catching both sheds on fire.
The district also responded to a report of an electrical fire on Innsbruck Road on the border of its district and area served by the Medicine Creek Fire Department. Crews found a transformer on fire, which had sparked a small grass fire that spread to a lawn mower. Grundy Electric secured power so crews could extinguish the fire. The Medicine Creek department responded with a tanker to support potential water needs.
The Mercer County Fire Protection District asks the public to avoid open burning until it rains.
(Photos courtesy Mercer County Fire Protection District)
