Department of Conservation, local fire departments contain blaze
A wildfire detected on Thursday at 11 p.m. was contained as of Saturday morning, burning ore than 170 acres of Mark Twain National Forest. According to the U.S. Forest Service, the Seligman Hollow Fire was not alarmingly large by wildfire standards, but high winds Friday prompted a heightened response by the Department of Conservation, Forest Service and their partners.
The wildfire was located in Mark Twain National Forest, about four miles northeast of Seligman, and response efforts were managed under unified command stablished with local, state and federal resources. “Hand crews, fire engines, dozers and helicopters [were] utilized to fight the fire,” A Forest Service release said. “Wind gusts of 50 mph [were] predicted for the area [Friday] — which raises concerns that embers from the interior of the fire’s footprint could potentially blow outside established containment lines.” In total on Friday, Forest Service firefighters responded to 21 separate incidents across the Forest’s response areas (15 on Forest and six on private property). Despite the winds being over 40 mph, and higher with gusts, the combined total of burned area for the fires was less than 600 acres. “I want to thank everyone that was out there assisting with wildfire response last night,” said Allen Briggs, Mark Twain National Forest’s assistant fire management officer. Briggs added that without everyone working together, things could have gone much worse.
Many volunteer fire departments and municipal fire departments were on the front lines of fires across the state Friday, and their actions were nothing short of heroic, the Forest Service press release said. The Seligman Hollow fire was not related to Forest Service prescribed burns and is assumed to be human-caused.
The source of the blaze is under investigation. The Eagle Rock-Golden- Mano Fire Protection District has also issued a burn ban, effective immediately. “Due to the current dry conditions and increased risk of wildfires, we must take proactive measures to protect our community,” a District release said. “We urge everyone to exercise extreme caution and refrain from any outdoor burning activities until further notice. Let’s work together to prevent wildfires and keep our community safe.” The Exeter Fire Protection District also issued a burn ban.
