ADAMS COUNTY, Ohio — Officials in Adams County are hoping for some rain to get one of their largest brush fires in nearly 40 years under control.
More than 120 acres have burned so far close to Route 52 near the Ohio River.
Crews have been working on containing the fire since Tuesday morning. They said it started when a homeowner was burning leaves and left the fire unattended.
“One of the landowners up there was burning leaves. They were working with it. She walked around to the front of the house. It took off, and they couldn’t stop it,” said Lonnie Bilyeu, assistant chief of the Manchester Fire Department.
At one point, more than 150 firefighters from Brown and Adams County, as well as areas across the river in Kentucky, were at the scene. Officials said they have contained the fire though it is still burning, creating a barrier surrounding it.
Officials said there are a lot of challenges to fighting a fire like this. For starters, the terrain is difficult.
“There’s no access to it. Everywhere you’d go along this area we’d hit a rock cliff. The only way in is pretty much walk,” he said. “Mainly we’d take rakes, and rake it out. We also use backpacks, or Indian tanks as they call it on your back. Holds about 5 gallons of water. Have to carry it around the sides of these hills. That’s a pretty good task also.”
Another difficulty is the chance of hotspots, which have popped up on the ground and in trees. Crews are still monitoring for hotspots.
Fire crews are using new technology to help battle the brush fire. Bilyeu said the Ohio State Highway Patrol provided a helicopter to monitor from above. Two other agencies have also brought in a drone.
“The new technology really helps out in these situations,” he said. “Kind of came back and had a plan together for where we could best get access, and do the fire that way.”
There is currently a 'No Burn' advisory in effect, something fire officials said residents need to take seriously
"It needs to be highly stressed to not burn when they say not burn or else you have this that happens," Bilyeu said. “This is probably one of the biggest forest fires I've been on in all my years of service."
One firefighter was taken to the hospital for smoke inhalation and asthma, and they are now doing fine. No buildings or homes have been damaged at this time.
ODNR is handling the response and the investigation.
“It’s not a criminal response, no. But there can be fines involved. They can get tickets, especially for something that goes out of control like this did,” Bilyeu said.
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