Local fire fighters were called to a wild land fire in Jefferson City on Apr. 15. Units from Clancy Volunteer Fire Department and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation assisted Jefferson City fire fighters with a fire that had reignited under afternoon winds, and threatened structures in the area.
Owners reported they had been doing debris burning a day or two before the incident, and believed the fire had gone out. But afternoon breezes reached a hot spot in a grass pile, according to fire deparment officials, causing it to reignite. The pile burned a corral fence, spreading through the dry grass and stopping only a few feet from the front door of the residence. Fire fighters caught a break when a wind shift caused the fire to reverse itself into the already burned area, essentially extinguishing itself. At that point, the focus was shifted to mop up operations.
Jefferson City Fire Chief Chief Keith Wear commented that the wind shift was extremely fortunate, as several homes were in the apparent path of the fire. “It looks like wild land season is underway,” Wear said.
The National Interagency Coordination Center is forecasting a “normal” fire season for the region, with no significant changes in temperatures or precipitation predicted during the next 4 months.
Other fire fighters commented that all burn piles require supervision, even after the initial burn. “Got to make sure they’re out,” said one Clancy fireman.
About 20 fire fighters worked on the fire, containing it to just under one acre. No structures were damaged, and there were no injuries reported.
