Volunteer firefighters from Clarendon and Sheffield were among the first to respond to a series of fires along Chapman Dam Road early Friday afternoon.
The fires, first reported by Kathy Simons of Clarendon, spread over a mile and a half down the road. Simons said she looked out the window and saw smoke and flames coming from the ditch. Upon second glance, she noticed more smoke coming from the forest area just down the road approaching the adjacent structure and immediately notified 911 around 12:30 p.m..
Clarendon Fire Chief Terry Gregerson and other firefighters quickly extinguished flames that were advancing east towards a home belonging to Vince Bailey. Down the road, Sheffield firefighters worked to extinguish the flames that were advancing towards the home belonging to Lee Borger Jr., eliminating any immediate threat to nearby structures.
Article Photos
Times Observer photos by Brian Collins
Fires on Chapman Dam Road
In the photo above, volunteer firefighters assess the flames as a Strike Team assembles to combat the fires. An estimated ten fires burned over a mile and a half length of Chapman Dam Road on Friday afternoon.
Westbound traffic on Chapman Dam Road was rerouted down Farnsworth Road with only local traffic being allowed to exit eastbound on Chapman Dam Road. Re-entry to the area was restricted for the duration of the fires.
An estimated ten fires were put out as teams worked quickly to control the blaze before it could reach state game lands. All fires were reported extinguished around 2:21 p.m. Friday afternoon.
Firefighters also responded from Starbrick, Cherry Grove, North Warren, Glade and the Forest Service to form a Strike Team in order to contain the fire. Warren-based state police also responded to the scene. No immediate cause was determined.