High winds coupled with dry conditions have resulted in several hundred acres of pasture and timber burning in the county since the weekend.
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igh winds coupled with dry conditions have resulted in several hundred acres of pasture and timber burning in the county since the weekend.
Fires began on Saturday, when the Grundy County Rural Fire Protection District was called to land southwest of Trenton owned by Harry Boyle. It was unknown what caused the fire, but it is suspected that a campfire is the culprit. The fire crossed two or three property lines, according to Grundy County Rural Fire Chief Kenny Roberts, and the Jamesport Fire Department was called in to help. The fire rekindled on Monday and firefighters, who were on the scene from about 1 to 9 p.m., finally set the rest of the area on fire and let it burn out. In all, about 500 acres in timber and CRP ground burned during the two days.
While the Grundy County firemen was busy at the Boyle fire, they received a call to go to 371 N. Highway 65, where a controlled burn had crossed over into land owned by Dave Cavanah and burned about two acres before being brought under control by the Trenton Fire Department and the Spickard Rural Fire Protection District, who provided mutual aid and allowed the Grundy County Rural firefighters to stay at the Boyle fire.
Spickard rural firefighters were also busy over the weekend, according to Fire Chief Toni Wilson, responding to a fire at the Bill Robbins farm, five miles west of Spickard on Saturday, where approximately four acres burned. The fire, which also burned a camper used for hunting, apparently started along the roadway off Highway C and kept firefighters on the scene for about 40 minutes.
On Sunday, Spickard firefighters went to the David Cunningham property, located seven miles northwest of Spickard, where another fire that apparently started along a gravel road off Katydid Lane in southern Mercer County burned about 120 acres. Firefighters went back to that location on Monday when the fire rekindled and burned about 40 more acres. Firemen were on the scene, with the assistance of the Princeton Fire Protection District, for about five hours.
The Spickard crew was called back Monday to the Bill Robbins farm, where the fire had rekindled and burned another one and one-half acres. While at that scene, firefighters were called to assist the Trenton Fire Department at the blaze at 371 N. Highway 65.
In discussing the number of rural fires, Roberts noted that the cooperation among the county?s various fire departments has been great, allowing adequate personnel to be available at each scene. He also pointed out that in the Boyle fire alone, over 300 man hours were logged by volunteers who also hold down other jobs. In addition, $150,000 to $200,000 worth of equipment was used to fight the blaze.
Finally, just after midnight today, Trenton city firefighters were called to a blaze at a vacant house at 1906 Carnes St., where the house was destroyed. The Missouri State Fire Marshal?s Office was called in to investigate the blaze, which was listed as suspicious, with no cause determined at this time. The house was owned by Gerald and Ben Donoho of Fruit Heights, UT. No one was hurt in the blaze, which kept firefighters on the scene for until 5:20 a.m.
Trenton Fire Chief Tony Ralston said a burning ban has been ordered in Trenton until further notice with the county?s fire districts also banning burning in the rural areas.