Weekend sees Peabody firemen battle three blazes
Chief admonishes residents to use extra caution
Peabody Fire Chief Ronnie Harms has asked citizens to be more aware of situations that might create fire hazards.
"The potential for dangerous fire situations is very high right now," he said Sunday afternoon at the site of a small grass fire on South Peabody Street. The fire burned an area just across the road from the south and west edges of Peabody city park.
Harms thought the fire might have been started by a smoldering cigarette butt. "It's real possible that's what started this one," he said. "People just need to think about what they are doing and think about the conditions with this wind and heat."
Peabody firefighters were called out to three grass fires during the past weekend.
"Saturday morning we had one where a guy was working in his field. The grass was thick and his mower got hot and started the grass on fire," Harms said. "It got away from him real fast with the wind the way it was.
"Then in the afternoon we were called to another one north of town where a controlled burn had been done sometime right after the last rain.
"Everyone figured it was out, but the wind stirred it back up again and the heat had made everything around it twice as dry as before," he said.
Sunday's fire on Peabody Street was confined to a small area, but could have spread to the park and nearby homes if it had gone undetected.
Harms said there almost are daily fires in Harvey and Marion counties.
"People just need to remember not to drop cigarette butts, not to dump coals from cookouts, and certainly not to try to burn off any ground," he said.
County commissioners in Harvey and Marion counties extended the burn bans Monday for another week. They will re-evaluate the ban at their next meetings.
Pastures can be burned, ban on all others
A burn ban was implemented by Marion County Commission that will only allow agricultural-type of burning.
The burning of pastures will be allowed this week but all other burning is banned.
Commissioners decided pasture burning would allow farmers to continue with their operations. Burning only would be allowed if winds are 20 mph or less. Farmers also would be required to have on-site fire protection such as a water truck or plow.
Residents are required to contact the county dispatcher at (620) 382-2144 that they are burning. Michele Abbott-Becker, director of communications, explained that dispatchers cannot approve burning but can advise fire chiefs in the area of the burns.
County fire chiefs were contacted and most were in favor of a burn ban. The chiefs said they weren't sure how to "police" agriculture burns.
