Brush fires continue

Nevada firefighters stationed near the edge of a brush fire spray smoldering branches and brush with water, while others, including Milo firefighters, extinguish hot spots in a wooded area of Nevada that caught fire yesterday afternoon.

More brush fires broke out yesterday, including an early morning fire in the Deerfield area and an afternoon brush fire in Nevada, along the railroad tracks near Maple Street. Yesterday's fires were brought under control relatively quickly, thanks to minimal wind; but extremely dry conditions mean very little is needed to start a fire.

Already this morning Deerfield firefighters were called to a grass fire in the yard of a resident, at a rural home.

In addition, one local resident told the Daily Mail that a spark caused by blades of a brush hog striking a rock had caught the dry foliage on fire near Bronaugh recently.

Nevada Fire Chief Bill Jeffries, crunching his feet in the dry grass to illustrate its dryness, said more fires are likely under these conditions. "Just about anything could cause this stuff to catch on fire."

Public safety officials throughout the county are urging residents to refrain from all outdoor burning until significant rainfall occurs in the area.