Rash of field fires Monday

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Dry and windy conditions on Monday resulted in multiple field fires that had the Paint Creek Joint Fire/EMS District out and about extinguishing the flames.

The first fire of the day burned about an acre of grass in Greenfield, according to Paint Creek Public Information Officer Branden Jackman. Then, in the early afternoon, a trash fire at a residence on U.S. Route 50 near Hoagland spread into a dry field nearby, burning several acres of grass and some silage before it was put out.

Jackman told The Times-Gazette on scene that if the fire had burned out of control, it could have spread to any one of several nearby barns and homes.

“This could have been bad,” he said.

Two more fires spread later on in the afternoon, Jackman said, the first on Swisshelm Road caused by someone burning a mattress. At press time, firefighters were still responding to a field fire on Beatty Road.

According to the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency, it is illegal to burn trash at any time, and doing so can result in substantial penalties.

Jackman said it’s never a good idea to start any type of fire when the weather is windy and dry like it was on Monday.

The Ohio Department of Natural Resources prohibits outdoor open burning in the months of March, April, May, October and November between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. due to the warm, windy and dry conditions of the seasons.

Information on fire safety and regulations can be found at epa.ohio.gov.

Reach David Wright at 937-402-2570, or on Twitter @DavidWrighter.

Paint Creek Joint Fire/EMS District Public Information Officer Branden Jackman, Lieutenant Kyle Stevens and Assistant Chief Dave Manning work on a blaze Monday afternoon in Hoagland.
http://aimmedianetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/33/2017/02/web1_fieldfire2-1.jpgPaint Creek Joint Fire/EMS District Public Information Officer Branden Jackman, Lieutenant Kyle Stevens and Assistant Chief Dave Manning work on a blaze Monday afternoon in Hoagland. David Wright | The Times-Gazette
Greenfield, Hoagland, New Market affected by blazes

By David Wright

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