Firefighters respond to multiple brush fires Sunday
TUSCARAWAS CO. (WJER) (Nov. 4, 2024) – The warm, dry, and windy weather combined with the leaves and dead vegetation on the ground produced some destructive brush fires in the area Sunday afternoon.
Smoking is to blame for one west of Dover that destroyed a mobile home and detached garage in the 5400 block of Schilling Hill Road Northwest. Nobody was injured. Dover Fire Lt. Brian Stewart says the occupant there admitted to tossing a cigarette into an area with weeds. The weeds ignited and caught the garage on fire while the flames also extended up the hill, burning about three acres of woodland in all.
“There was a little bit of wind, plus the dry fire conditions. It all spread pretty rapidly,” said Stewart.
Stewart says the person who started the fire won’t be cited because it wasn’t malicious, just careless.
Other brush fires broke out on Liberty Rd SW, SR 93 NW, and Schneiders Crossing Rd NW. Sugarcreek Fire Chief John Meek says his department was sent to two of Sunday’s fires.
“Between the less humidity, a little bit of wind, and as dry as everything is, it’s just sort of the perfect combination for brush fires. And it doesn’t take much. People just start burning and all it takes is a little spark and it’ll start traveling real fast up a hillside or through the woods,” Meek said.
Newcomerstown and other departments responded to a brush fire at about 1 p.m. Sunday on Post Boy Rd that destroyed a building. The fire department said on Facebook that one firefighter there was treated at the scene for minor burn injuries. A dog and kitten were rescued from the fire.
As a reminder, the state’s fall burn ban remains in effect from 6 am to 6 pm.