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Last updated on Monday, February 20, 2017
(MITCHELL) - Marion Township Rural Fire Department responded to multiple field fires on Friday.
The largest, the size of a football field, was reported on South Meridian Road.
There was also field fires on Rabbitsville Road and one on Tunnelton Road, where Guthrie VFD assisted.
Marion VFD Chief Paul Gillespie says it doesn't take much to get a field fire started, dry conditions and wind can spread a fire quickly.
Indiana Creek VFD .fFirefighters were called to a fire in the 1200 block of Fayetteville- Coxton Road just before 11 a.m. Friday. A man was attempting to burn an old mobile home when the fire spread to the grass.
Williams and Oolitic VFDs assisted at the scene.
Indian Creek also battled a brush fire on Patton Hill Road.
"Even though it has been raining and the ground is muddy, it doesn't take much wind for all the grass and brush to get dry enough to burn," says Marion VFD Chief Paul Gillespie. "If you are burning off a trash pile you need to be mindful of the conditions. High winds and dry brush will cause a fire to quickly get out of hand."
Chief Gillespie says all controlled burns need to have somebody watching them until they are fully extinguished and no remaining burning embers remain.
"We highly recommend having a water source close by while having a controlled burn," he added. "A garden hose will put out most trash pile fires if they would start to spread. Please remind the citizens to watch for any burn bans and to call in to the Sheriff's Department's dept non-emergency number and advise them that they are having a controlled burn."
The number is (812) 275-3316 and press 1 for dispatch. Should somebody see smoke and call in a trash fire, dispatch will have the location logged as a controlled burn and usually will not dispatch a fire department unless the original caller calls back on 911 to report that it has out of control.
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