Crews Battle Brush Fire in Boones Mill

A total of 17 units responded to a brush fire off of Monty Road in Boones Mill Friday night, according to Franklin County Dispatch via Facebook.

The call came in at 8:22 p.m. Friday with Company 7 out of Boones Mill responding. Additional crews from Callaway were also called for added manpower. Additional crews from the Franklin County Department of Public Safety were also on hand.

The fire, off the 700 block of Monty Road, was estimated to be between a quarter to a half acre wide in a field, but the fire grew and extended into nearby woods within 10 minutes. Heavy brush began burning.

The fire was under control at 9:20 p.m. as firefighters performed standard mop-up operations.

While 2018 and the beginning of 2019 was very soggy in terms of rainfall, it doesn’t take long under increasing temperatures and falling humidity to create conditions ripe for brush fires.

A cold front had just moved through the area Friday evening, with only a few sprinkles along it. It had been a dry week.

Winds increased out of the west up to 20-30 mph behind the front as humidity levels dropped, possibly fanning the flames.

The Virginia Spring Burning Law continues through April 30 and makes it illegal to burn outdoors before 4 p.m. if the fire is in or within 300 feet of woods and/or brush.

No rain is expected in the near future as dry weather continues for much of next week. Folks are reminded that just because we had a lot of rain over the winter, the longer days of spring combined with no rain can quickly became ripe for brush fires. Downed trees and limbs from wind events make for highly-flammable fuel for any fire to consume, especially dead trees and limbs that may have just recently fallen.