Fires lead to evacuation
By Sam Shawver, sshawver@mariettatimes.comArticle Photos
Fact Box
Fire safety
The Ohio Division of Forestry offers these safety tips for burning debris outdoors:
Consider using a 55-gallon drum with a weighted screen lid to provide an enclosed incinerator.
Know current and future weather conditions, and have suppression tools on hand.
Be informed of state and local burning regulations.
Consult the local fire department for additional information and safety considerations.
www.ohiodnr.com/forestry and www.firewise.org for more information and tips on protecting rural homes and community.
Source: www.ohiodnr.com
Sixteen-year-old Alex Herndon and a friend were watching television at the Herndon home along East Branch Road north of Lowell Thursday afternoon when the unmistakable odor of burning brush wafted into the house.
"I looked outside and saw a bunch of smoke, and it looked like the fire was coming toward our house, so I called 911," Herndon said.
The residence, where Herndon lives with his father and stepmother (neither were home at the time) is located at the foot of a steep hill between East Branch Road and Dixon Ridge Road. The property is part of a 60-acre farm owned by Alex's grandfather, Thomas Morrison.
A neighbor of the Herndons, James Lowers, said the brush fire moved rapidly up the hillside.
"When I heard what had happened, I started walking toward the fire but couldn't get down the hill because there was so much smoke," he said.
Lowell-Adams Volunteer Fire Chief Bob Kubota said the call came in at 12:49 p.m. and within minutes, units were headed to the scene along winding and dusty farm roads.
When firefighters arrived, steady winds were spreading the blaze, and residents of three homes in the general area were temporarily evacuated.
There were some close calls during the fire.
"Two oil wells were in the area, but we were able to save them, and part of a plastic gas line melted and flared up for a moment," Kubota said.
Personnel from seven fire companies responded, including Lowell-Adams, Salem, Warren, Fearing, Reno, Beverly and Caldwell. A helicopter from the Washington County Sheriff's Office also responded to help locate potential hot spots within the seven-acre blaze.
"We not only appreciate all of the fire companies that responded, but also all of the neighbors who pitched in to help out. They rode four-wheelers and used rakes or whatever they could to help put out the fire," Kubota said.
The East Branch Road blaze was one of at least five brush fires that flared up in Washington County on Thursday. Others were reported on Offenberger Road, Dana Road in Newport and Ohio 821 and Kilwell Road near Marietta.
James Pfarr with the Ohio Department of Natural Resources Division of Forestry in Hocking County is investigating the East Branch Road fire.
"The cause is still undetermined, but we're still investigating the incident," he said on Thursday. "We also had three brush fires in Hocking County yesterday and another three were reported there today."
Spring fire season in Ohio began on March 1 and runs through May 31. During March, April and May, outdoor burning is prohibited from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
"Things are really dry now, winds are picking up, and the humidity is down," Pfarr said. "Even grass that is soaking wet can be dry enough to burn within an hour, so people should be cautious."
He said folks should also be aware when burning brush or debris that a fire that gets out of control and burns other property can be deemed a third-degree misdemeanor, resulting in fines of up to $500 and jail time.
"About 500 wildfires are reported during spring wildfire season, burning around 3,000 acres," said David Lytle, chief of the ODNR Division of Forestry, in a news release.
"Longer daylight hours, combined with gusty spring winds, increase the risk of wildfires. All it takes is a little wind to cause a debris fire to escape control and spread."
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Parrothead
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03-07-09 11:24 PM
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Had people at my home for a party a couple of weeks ago and my home smelled like burning trash thanks to the neighbors having a little trash fire an hour before my guest arrived. Why do people these days never give any thought to how their actions may impact those around them? It’s called respect for others but I guess that is an old fashioned concept. (Disclaimer: This post is not intended to be offensive or abusive in any way. Any perceived abuse or offense is purely coincidental.)
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Parrothead
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03-07-09 11:21 PM
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Burning laws are ignored in Devola, especially in the fall. Here are times it is so smoky from people burning leaves and trash in Devola that you can smell it indoors with the windows and doors closed. I have called everyone I can think of and they all just pass the buck and do nothing! There is no where in Devola where the structures are far enough apart to allow burning of any kind yet someone is burning constantly. It’s like living next to the Beverly Hillbillies. I actually had my neighbors have a bonfire in their back yard one fall, they never raked a leaf or cleared the area of flammables before the lit their fire. They just piled up some wood on the leaf covered yard 10 feet from my garage and had a good ole time. TEN FEET away from my garage. They would have had fun if my garage had gone up! (Disclaimer: This post is not intended to be offensive or abusive in any way. Any perceived abuse or offense is purely coincidental.)
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Johanna
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03-07-09 10:24 PM
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Nevermind..got the answer...
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Johanna
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03-06-09 10:35 PM
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What is toned?
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Johanna
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03-06-09 10:32 PM
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hondaxrider..what is "toned out"? Where is the VFD in Watertown? I have been back in the area for 6+ years and still pass the sign of the Future Department on 676..is that ever going to happen?
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Indian
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03-06-09 4:39 PM
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Thanks for the responses. I was not aware of several fires at one time, I guess. Glad to hear they kept it to 7 acres.
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Indian
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03-06-09 4:39 PM
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Thanks for the responses. I was not aware of several fires at one time, I guess. Glad to hear they kept it to 7 acres.
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Indian
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03-06-09 4:39 PM
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Thanks for the responses. I was not aware of several fires at one time, I guess. Glad to hear they kept it to 7 acres.
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Indian
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03-06-09 4:39 PM
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Thanks for the responses. I was not aware of several fires at one time, I guess. Glad to hear they kept it to 7 acres.
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Indian
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03-06-09 4:39 PM
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Thanks for the responses. I was not aware of several fires at one time, I guess. Glad to hear they kept it to 7 acres.
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Finallap
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03-06-09 2:15 PM
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hondaxrider.. If they were or not I cant remember,but LA did asked watertown to be toned
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Myownopinion
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03-06-09 1:08 PM
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I have a friend on Oak Grove's fire dept and they were toned out and they responded to the Lowell brush fire.
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ladynoogs
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03-06-09 12:57 PM
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i'm glad those boys were home! who knows how bad it could have gotten. i dont remember the last time we had a brush fire like that around here.
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hondaxrider
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03-06-09 12:53 PM
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i'm on watertown f.d. and i can't believe we wasn't there and CALDWELL & Reno was. Of course, that time of day, we may have been toned and no one responded. Indian: Beverly is always Mutual aid with L-A. Devola is too. Watertown can be called for them but it would generally have to be a big blaze. A big pat on the back to the departments on that scene. "Every Firefighter Goes Home"
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firechick
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03-06-09 11:59 AM
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The fire dept does not issue the fines, of course. But we do have the right to extinguish the fire, even if you are buring during the appropriate times, if we feel the proper precautions are not being taken. I hope I worded that right.
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firechick
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03-06-09 11:37 AM
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Indian: From what I heard, LA asked for any tankers & brush trucks they could get. Devola & Oak Grove may have been tied up on other fires & been unable to respond. As far as who enforces the burn laws, I believe it starts with the fire dept, then goes up the ladder to the DNR & possibly as far as the EPA.
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Finallap
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03-06-09 11:33 AM
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Indian devola and oak grove were toned out.. There was so much going on,on the scanner I could not keep up with it..They may have been sent to one on 821 after the one in Lowell started.. They even toned out dunham and wesley out also,but dont know if they responded
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Indian
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03-06-09 10:52 AM
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Who enforces the burn laws?
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Indian
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03-06-09 10:52 AM
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Amen to the fire fighters. Wonder why Devola and Oak Grove weren't there. They seem a bit closer than Caldwell or Warren, or Reno or even Beverly, to L-A? Anyone know?
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Finallap
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03-06-09 10:42 AM
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Hats off to all the firefighters for doing a wonderful job
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irunthashow
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03-06-09 10:15 AM
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Could have been a Meth Lab or something.
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firechick
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03-06-09 9:56 AM
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Along with not buring from 6am - 6pm, people need to use common sense. When its windy out DO NOT BURN period! It never fails that on the windiest of days, someone thinks its a good time to burn. All it takes is one little ember to fly away and start up another fire.
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Indian
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03-06-09 9:12 AM
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Seven acre blaze....sounds like a good burn-off.
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