ON THE SCENE: Emergency crews respond to fires, accident week of Feb. 12
PHOTO FROM APPLE CREEK FD FACEBOOK PAGE
Brush fires on windy Wednesday
APPLE CREEK Apple Creek Volunteer Fire Department responded to four fires Feb. 15 in their coverage area, according to Fire Chief Jim Zimmerman.
All of the fires were the result of other intentionally set fires that spread due to the wind, Zimmerman wrote in an email. One was from a stump that had been burnt the previous Saturday and the property owner had thought the fire had burnt out several days ago when the wind fed it and caused it to reignite and spread to the pasture field that it was in. The other three fires were the result of individuals burning debris on burn piles, or in one case a burn barrel, and the high wind conditions caused the fires to spread to other areas, two of which were neighboring properties, one being a tree line and the other a farm field. Two of the fires were on S. Apple Creek Road, one in the 600 block and the other in the 5000 block. The other two were on Dover Road, one in the 9000 block and the other in the 10000 block. Ohio burning regulations are set by the Ohio EPA and can be found on their website, Zimmerman reminds residents.
“With spring coming, we know everyone has yard debris and general cleanup that they want to accomplish, but it’s important to know and adhere to these regulations in an effort to prevent these types of incidents that can result in substantial risk to property owners and their neighbors,” Zimmerman wrote in the email. “Even fires that meet the requirements of the EPA should be done so with caution and should be avoided during days like yesterday with high winds and/or dry conditions that could cause the fire to spread out of control. The Ohio State Fire Marshal has a burn ban for the months of March, April, May, October, and November that bans all burning during the hours of 6 am – 6 pm due to the potential for dry, windy conditions, but everyone should apply this same thought process throughout the entire year when those conditions present themselves.”
Multiple departments respond to barn fire
Shortly after 3 a.m. Feb. 18, Apple Creek Volunteer Fire Department was called for an unknown fire in the area of S. Carr and Hackett. First arriving units found two fully involved pole barns down a long drive off of S. Carr, according to a post on ACVFD Facebook page.
Defensive operations were used to protect nearby exposures and bring the fire under control. Crews were on scene for approximately four hours. Mutual aid departments listed included Wooster Township, South Central, Kidron, Orrville Firefighters and they also thanked emergency dispatchers and Wayne County Sheriff’s Office.
Two injured in two-vehicle crash
At 1:50 p.m. Feb. 17, East Wayne Fire District was called for a two-vehicle crash along U.S. 30 in front of 3D Meats. Two people were transported to a local hospital.
