With a countywide burn ban still active, firefighters in the area have been especially busy recently, including battling a pair of blazes in Cassville on Friday and Sunday.
According to Derek Acheson, Cassville Volunteer Fire Protection District (CFD) chief, crews from Cassville, Washburn and Exeter were paged at 4:59 p.m. on Friday for an outside fire south of Cassville on Highway 37.
Exeter Brush 1 arrived on scene first and established command. Cassville Brush 1 arrived on scene and made entry through a gate on the south side of the incident, finding heavy fire spreading rapidly through a field of grass 3-4 feet tall. CFD Brush 1 initiated fire attack on the north line that was threatening timber. EFD Brush truck initiated fire attack along the southern line in the grass.
Additional units were requested by command from Butterfield. CFD Chief 1 arrived on scene, and the firefighter paired with CFD Brush 1 to become the north exposure group. Fences were cut along the north line and the west to make access to spreading fire. Washburn fire was able to make access to the west field off of Farm Road 1090 after the fence was cut.
Purdy Fire was requested to move down to the Butterfield/Cassville area for Coverage. Seligman Fire was requested to move up to the Washburn area for coverage. Central Crossing was requested to move up to cover Cassville District, but was unable due to staffing. None of these agencies responded to the scene.
Command requested Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) to respond with a dozer to assist in making a fire break on the north side to help protect exposures.
Fire was logged under control and mutual aid units were slowly released from the scene to return to their districts. Command was transferred from Exeter to Cassville. MDC completed their dozer line in the northwest corner of the scene, and an estimated 20 acres were burned, as well as one small abandoned structure.
While on scene, a small shed that had previously caught fire and was lost. Crews made an effort to extinguish the shed but had difficulties due to the location, just off the highway on the east side of the scene approximately 75 feet off the road.
Multiple hay bales were located along the timber line and were not able to be extinguished fully. They were soaked multiples times with wet lines placed around them.
Once all remaining hot spots were determined to be within the burned area, command was terminated and all units returned to service. One firefighter had a minor injury and was evaluated by Mercy EMS on scene and refused care.
In total, five agencies responded to the blaze with 14 vehicles and 27 personnel. The scene was cleared at 10:13 p.m.
Two days later, at 12:47 p.m., crews were again paged to a fire, this time with greater implications.
CFD was paged to an outside fire past Ash cave on Highway Y with cars and a barn in danger, Acheson said. While in route, CFD called for a second alarm, which brought Butterfield Fire and Exeter Fire for assistance. Once on scene CFD B1 worked to controlled the outside fire and Engine 1, Tanker 1 and Tanker 3 worked to extinguish 2 vehicles and 1 barn. Exeter Fire assisted with fire attack on the barn, and Butterfield Fire assisted with the outside fire.
The Barry County Sheriff’s Office and Missouri State Highway Patrol requested to shut down Y Hwy due to apparatus occupying the highway on a dangerous curve. After fire was extinguished, mutual aid departments were released.
CFD units remained on scene and requested assistance from Brice’s Towing and Hunter tree service. The tree service was requested due to an unsafe tree that was still smoldering and not extinguishable, as fire crews could not drop it safely. Brice’s Towing was requested to move an immobile vehicle so the tree service could operate safely.
Once the tree was dropped, CFD Brush 1 and 2 extinguished the remaining smoldering spots on the tree. All units cleared scene and returned to service.
A quarter of an acre of sloped woods was burned, two inoperable passenger vehicles were lost, and the barn suffered minor damage to the northeast corner. No injuries were reported.
While on scene, CFD was paged out to a residential fire alarm activation as well. Exeter Fire was able to move units to that incident for investigation, but was cancelled in route when the alarm company confirmed it was a false alarm.
For this fire, seven agencies responded with 17 vehicles and 29 personnel. The scene was cleared at 3:55 p.m.
