MONROE — Fire departments from around the county responded to a field fire just north of Monroe on Friday, Oct. 18.
At about 11:53 a.m., a 911 caller reported a cornfield was on fire in the W5300 block of County DR, according to a press release from Monroe Rural Fire District Chief Nick Bartles.
Monroe Rural Brush 4 was the first unit on scene and indicated that it was quickly growing into a large fire, according to the statement. Monroe Rural Engine 1 then arrived on scene and assumed command.
“Due to very dry conditions and gusty winds,” the statement said, “command requested assistance from the Juda and Browntown fire departments for brush trucks. The City of Monroe was also requested for their UTV.”
Smoke billowed out of the field and was pushed north due to the winds. The smoke was visible for many miles.
“After the initial request for mutual aid, the fire had spread quickly into standing corn and the fire front was spreading at a fast pace,” the statement continued.
At that time, fire command requested Mutual Aid (MABAS) box alarm 9-1-4 to the third alarm. Assisting crews from New Glarus, Argyle, Monticello, Albany, Juda, City of Monroe, Browntown, South Wayne, Belleville, Brodhead, Woodford, Evansville, Orangeville (Ill.) and Cedarville (Ill.) joined in on the fight.
County DR was shut down in both directions at Wis. 69 and Wis. 59, as well as closed off at Monroe’s Industrial Park intersection. The Green County Sheriff’s Office and Green County Highway Department assisted with traffic control and road closures. Additional equipment used on the scene — a tractor and chisel plow — came courtesy of a local farmer, and a local equipment operator assisted with a bulldozer to make a fire line around the fire.
The blaze was contained by 1:06 p.m., just over an hour after it was called in. Approximately 50 acres of the field were burned. It is believed the fire was started by a spark from the harvesting equipment.
Fire Safety Tips ...
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) lists five fire safety tips to avoid unnecessary emergency situations.
■ Avoid outdoor burning until conditions improve. Burn permits for debris burning are currently suspended in numerous counties.
■ Operate equipment (chainsaws, off-road vehicles, lawn mowers, etc.) early in the morning or late in the day to avoid sparks at peak burn hours.
■ Secure trailer chains to keep them from dragging.
■ Delay having campfires until the evening hours, as fire conditions tend to improve; keep them small and contained. Make sure they are completely extinguished before leaving them unattended.
■ Report fires early: dial 911.
Nearly all of Wisconsin was under a high fire danger or worse as of Monday, Oct. 21, thanks to a continued dry spell, above normal temperatures, dry vegetation and recent gusty winds.
Green, Lafayette, Rock, Dane, Iowa, Sauk and Grant counties are all at the elevated “high” fire danger risk, which includes 61 of Wisconsin’s 72 counties. Five counties in central Wisconsin are higher yet, with fire risk levels at “very high,” while southeastern Wisconsin counties near Lake Michigan are a level lower than the rest of the state with a “moderate” fire risk.
“All DNR-issued annual burning permits for debris piles, burn barrels and prescribed burns are suspended today in 25 counties where the DNR has burning permit authority,” the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources (DNR) wrote in a press release Oct. 17. “Current wildfire concerns are primarily due to the lack of precipitation across the entire state. Wisconsin has received record-low rain in recent weeks, resulting in varying levels of moderate to severe drought. Wildfires that occur under these conditions can burn for great lengths of time and smolder underground for days and can be challenging to suppress.”
For the latest information on current fire risk across Wisconsin, go to https://apps.dnr.wi.gov/wisburn/#/.