MONROE - Area fire departments were busy Friday, answering calls to put out grass and field fires that had gotten out of control.
The Monroe, Juda, South Wayne, Albany and Brodhead departments all were called to separate fires during a period of about six hours Friday. Monroe Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said grass fires can be avoided if people take steps to plan.
"Most of the time someone is burning a brush pile or some grass along a ditch line and it gets out of control," said Rausch, whose firefighters responded to a grass fire at about 11:15 a.m. Friday on Ladwig Road. "If there had been enough people around, it could have been put out before it got out of control."
Friday's was the fifth grass fire this month the Monroe department has put out. Fortunately, the chief said, none of those fires caused damage to buildings.
Rausch said that often one or two people start a fire to burn off some dead grass. Before they can react, the fire spreads and the fire department has to be called.
A few extra people with some rakes and brooms can put out a grass fire if it begins to get out of control, Rausch said.
Other ways to avoid a grass fire are common sense, he added.
"If it's windy, don't burn. Keep a water source nearby," Rausch said.
A grass fire not only can be dangerous, but also expensive. Each time the Monroe Fire Department responds to a grass fire, 22 firefighters are called out. The department doesn't respond for free. Rausch said the Monroe Fire Department bills the township where the fire takes place $1,000 a hour. That cost usually is billed back to the property owner.
In past years, the fire department has responded to a controlled burn when a passing motorist sees smoke and assumes the fire is out of control. Rausch said anyone who plans to burn off some grass should contact the Green County Sheriff's Department, or their local police department, to avoid similar misunderstandings.
There's no ban of burning grass in Green County. Rausch said he can only remember one ban in the past few years. If there are too many grass fires, the county's fire chiefs, Green County Sheriff's Department and Green County Emergency Management would decide whether to institute a ban on burning. A moratorium would be announced in a news release to local media and the sheriff's department would tell people when they call to report they plan to burn.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban for Barron, Chipewa, Clark Eau Claire, Jackson and Rusk counties. Local fire chiefs in Dunn County also have issued a fire ban.
The Monroe, Juda, South Wayne, Albany and Brodhead departments all were called to separate fires during a period of about six hours Friday. Monroe Fire Chief Daryl Rausch said grass fires can be avoided if people take steps to plan.
"Most of the time someone is burning a brush pile or some grass along a ditch line and it gets out of control," said Rausch, whose firefighters responded to a grass fire at about 11:15 a.m. Friday on Ladwig Road. "If there had been enough people around, it could have been put out before it got out of control."
Friday's was the fifth grass fire this month the Monroe department has put out. Fortunately, the chief said, none of those fires caused damage to buildings.
Rausch said that often one or two people start a fire to burn off some dead grass. Before they can react, the fire spreads and the fire department has to be called.
A few extra people with some rakes and brooms can put out a grass fire if it begins to get out of control, Rausch said.
Other ways to avoid a grass fire are common sense, he added.
"If it's windy, don't burn. Keep a water source nearby," Rausch said.
A grass fire not only can be dangerous, but also expensive. Each time the Monroe Fire Department responds to a grass fire, 22 firefighters are called out. The department doesn't respond for free. Rausch said the Monroe Fire Department bills the township where the fire takes place $1,000 a hour. That cost usually is billed back to the property owner.
In past years, the fire department has responded to a controlled burn when a passing motorist sees smoke and assumes the fire is out of control. Rausch said anyone who plans to burn off some grass should contact the Green County Sheriff's Department, or their local police department, to avoid similar misunderstandings.
There's no ban of burning grass in Green County. Rausch said he can only remember one ban in the past few years. If there are too many grass fires, the county's fire chiefs, Green County Sheriff's Department and Green County Emergency Management would decide whether to institute a ban on burning. A moratorium would be announced in a news release to local media and the sheriff's department would tell people when they call to report they plan to burn.
The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources has issued a burning ban for Barron, Chipewa, Clark Eau Claire, Jackson and Rusk counties. Local fire chiefs in Dunn County also have issued a fire ban.