At 14:13 hours this afternoon, A-Shift was dispatched to a reported woods fire. Our first on scene unit arrived within 7 minutes of dispatch and estimated about three acres burning in a wooded area around a home on Ode Turner Road. Orange Grove Fire Department was requested to send personnel and a second brush truck to the fire based on the wind conditions and access issues. The crew from our brush truck with help from the Battalion Chief deployed leaf blowers and hand tools and were able to quickly contain the head fire. Orange Grove arrived on scene and helped reenforce the fire lines and started mop up operations in the burned area. NC Forrestry Service Rangers arrived on scene and helped to cut down some burning trees and mopping up the burned area.

The low humidity and high winds today created hazardous conditions that will kindle and spread a fire.
The fire on Ode Turner Road was potentially the result of open burning from a few days ago but hidden embers reignited and carried by the wind created the need for a fire department response.
If you burn yard waste or have an outside fire pit, it's a great practice to thoroughly wet the burned wood, coal and ashes left from the burning process before leaving the burned area unattended. Smoldering embers burried by ashe can spark a fire for several days even though you think the fire is out.