Fire chief stresses burn ban after brush fire spreads to 5 acres in Augusta Township
Augusta Township fire Chief Vic Chevrette is stressing the ban on open burning after a brush fire spread across nearly five acres on the 8000 block of Lawrence Avenue in Augusta Township on Thursday afternoon.
Several fire departments in Washtenaw County have issued burn bans in recent weeks because of extremely dry conditions.
"It’s just very dry out there and until we get a rain or something, there is a ban on open burning,” said Chevrette. “That goes for campfires and everything, and we’re asking people to exercise caution when lighting off fireworks because you’re responsible for that fire if it starts.
“It’s just with the lack of rainfall, everything is so dry.”
The Augusta Charter Township Fire Department received a call from a resident who saw a fire in the woods behind the subdivision between Lawrence Avenue and Stoney Creek Road on Thursday, just after noon. Saline, Milan, Pittsfield and Ypsilanti Township fire departments assisted on the scene, mainly because of the amount of wildlife in the area.
“It’s just very think brush. A lot of trees and thick forest…it’s wild land,” Chevrette said.
Chevrette said approximately five acres of brush burned in the fire, but there was no damage to property or injuries reported. The fire was extinguished by 1:15 p.m. The cause of the fire is still unknown and is being investigated by Michigan State Police.
Contact Pete Cunningham at petercunningham@annarbor.com or by phone at 734-623-2561. Follow him on Twitter @petcunningham.
Get the Ann Arbor RSS Feed
AnnArbor.com