Wood fire burns 60 acres
By Staff Reports
Published in News on September 21, 2010 1:46 PM
A wood fire consuming about 60 acres off Pineview Cemetery Road Monday might have been started after a burn of a cornfield got out of control, Indian Springs Fire Department Chief Phil Shivar said today.
"We're pretty sure that what started the fire was they had been burning off corn stalks, and probably the wind got up under it," Shivar said.
He said it appeared the fire jumped from the contained cornfield over to another where it then entered the woods. There also were about 15 mobile homes nearby that were in the direct path of the fire, but that were never forced to evacuate.
However, the North Carolina Fire Service is still investigating the cause today.
Responding to the blaze were Indian Springs and Pricetown fire departments and the N.C. Forest Service, which, spokesman Brian Hanes said, stayed on the scene until about 4 a.m. this morning putting out flare-ups.
"This was kind of a bit unusual," Shivar said. "Most wood fires are a little smaller. I think this is the biggest we've had in Wayne County this year."
And while Wayne County isn't under any sort of burning ban, Hanes said that because of the dry conditions people need to exercise caution when burning, whether burning fields or burning yard waste.
"The issue really is that it is so dry. The main thing we're preaching is be careful and if it's windy, just don't do it," Hanes said.