October 15, 2019 3:50 a.m.
Though fire season is over, crews with the Douglas Forest Protective Association and local fire departments responded to two backyard debris burns that escaped containment and became wildfires in recent days.
Kyle Reed from DFPA said their firefighters along with crews from rural fire departments in Tiller, Milo and Days Creek, responded to an escaped debris burn Saturday afternoon seven miles southeast of Tiller, near the 36,000 block of Tiller Trail Highway. Crews arrived on the Milepost 36 Fire around 1:30 p.m. and began to deal with the blaze which was spreading up a hillside between Tiller Trail Highway and Joe Hall Road. Reed said crews stopped the forward spread of the fire at approximately one acre of vegetation. They remained on the scene until 5:30 p.m.
Monday afternoon firefighters from DFPA, Douglas County Fire District No. 2 and the Lookingglass Rural Fire Department, responded to another escaped debris burn located two miles northeast of Winston, near Jackie Avenue. Crews arrived on the scene at around 2:00 p.m. and worked to suppress the blaze which had spread from a debris pile, into a deck of firewood and the surrounding vegetation. Reed said crews stopped the forward spread of the fire at 1/10th of an acre and remained on the scene until 4:00 p.m.
Reed said periods of warm, dry and windy weather can pose risks to the area anytime of the year. Individuals responsible for debris piles that escape containment and become a wildfire can still be cited for the resulting fire and held liable for suppression costs and associated damages.
Go to www.dfpa.net for more information on conducting a safe debris burn.