Batesville Herald Tribune, Batesville, Indiana

Local News

March 10, 2009

Winds spread five fires

Debbie Blank

A series of grass fires kept three volunteer fire departments hopping Saturday, March 7.

Batesville firefighters got the call to go to 24072 Pocket Road at 11:10 a.m. and 10 men on five apparatus arrived there at 11:19, said Chief Todd Schutte. “It was just a brush pile that got into a field – pretty minor. We knocked it down in two or three minutes.”

Eagle Fire Co. volunteers in Oldenburg were called at 12:13 p.m. to go to 20132 Walnut Fork Road in Peppertown to put out a brush fire near a trailer, said public relations coordinator Gary Swain. Trailer skirting melted, but the structure was saved.

They also responded to a 1:12 p.m. field fire that began when owners were burning items near a pond at 25119 Senft Road, Hamburg, and “it just got away from them.”

Laurel firefighters fought a 3:40 p.m. blaze at 26068 Sand Creek Road, Swain said. Oldenburg volunteers were called to assist, but their run was canceled en route, so the fire must have been extinguished quickly.

Just back from a vehicle crash, 13 Batesville firefighters were called to a brush fire at 2164 E. County Road 1150 N. at 4:29 p.m. and were at the scene at 4:34. It was under control 11 minutes later and there was no damage, just a little lost pride. “One fireman got a truck stuck,” Schutte laughed.

Why did all these fires occur on the same day? Swain explained, “With the warmer weather, people are wanting to get out to burn leaves and trash, but they didn’t take into consideration the high wind.”

Schutte advised, “Keep an eye on the weather ... If you have high winds, don’t be out burning.”

Debbie Blank can be contacted at 812-934-4343, Ext. 113; or debbie.blank@batesvilleheraldtribune.com.

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