Blazing Fire Wreaks Havoc

A blazing fire wreaks havoc and destroys property.

           

           The spell of hot, dry weather that has held the area in its grasp for the last few weeks is taking its toll on grasslands and firefighters.

            Saturday, in the wake of 15- and 25-mph winds and a high temperature of 99 degrees, fire protection agencies from across the area responded to 16 calls.

            At the largest of those, a 25-acre grass fire on Peabody Road, which is north of Prathersville and west of Route 19. Paramedics treated on site at least five of 35 firefighters for heat exhaustion, Fire Chief Debra Schuster said.

            Three more of the heavily clad firefighters were hospitalized for heat exhaustion and two of those were flown to Springfield Hospital by helicopter.  All were treated for about an hour and released.

            Dennis Sapp, fire captain of Station No.1, said that the blaze on Peabody Road burned out of control for an hour before it was contained, which seemingly was caused by a trash fire. The blaze endangered some nearby farmland and the barn but was extinguished before anything else was ruined.

            Fires had been starting all day, such as the one on Peabody Road, especially in the northern part of the city and county. Some of the fires could have been the work of an arsonist, but careless burning seemed to be a more of the cause.

            “We don’t have any evidence there is an arsonist. We sure hope that we don’t have someone running around starting fires on purpose, but there is also that possibility,” Schuster said.


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