Area fire departments battle three brush fires in as many days

For the third time in as many days area firefighters have been called to the scene to fight brush fires that have gotten out of control.

Woodbine firefighters were called to Old Corbin Road off of Ky. 26 about 2:45 p.m. Monday.

Woodbine Battalion Chief Rickie Fore said the flames burned approximately 15 acres.

“A guy was burning a brush pile and it got out of control,” Fore said noting that it burned along the roadside before shooting up the mountain.

“Steep terrain, high winds and heavy fuel load, it was a perfect situation for a fire,” Fore said.

According to Fore, Woodbine firefighters performed structural protection on several nearby homes until U.S. Forestry Service personnel arrived on scene and established a fire line to stop the flames from spreading.

“It got within 20 to 30 yards of a couple of houses,” he said.

Goldbug firefighters were called out to I-75 at approximately 1:20 p.m. Monday in response to reports of multiple brush fires at the 18-mile marker.

Fire department officials stated that the fires consumed approximately one acre of brush. Firefighters worked for approximately two hours to extinguish the fires.

Oak Grove firefighters were called to Tattersall Estates Saturday afternoon for an out of control brush fire that destroyed a neighbor’s outbuilding.

Chief Kevin Gibbs said firefighters were paged to Kelso Trail about 4:05 p.m.

Gibbs said the homeowner told him that the neighbor had been burning a cardboard box. The fire, fed by the high winds, pushed the fire to the outbuilding.

“Really the conditions were right and the fire just got out of hand,” Gibbs said.

Gibbs said while there was no burning ban in place in Whitley County, anyone burning brush or debris should be cautious as such fires can easily get out of control.

Whitley County Emergency Management Director Danny Moses said February through April is Spring Forest Fire Hazard Season.

During that time, burning is prohibited between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. within 150 feet of a treeline.

“In the end it comes down to common sense,” Moses said of taking precautions with burning outdoors.