TIPP CITY — UPDATED @ 9:35 p.m.:
A campfire that spread quickly, low humidity and extremely dry conditions led to a fire Thursday at the Lost Creek Prairie Preserve in Tipp City that consumed an estimated three acres, Chief Cameron Haller, Tipp City Fire & EMS said.
“The fire spread is unintentional,” Haller said in a statement released minutes ago. “The cause of the fire is intentional open burning in a campfire. The leaves and vegetation are in a low humidity and extremely dry condition. The original fire spread to an estimated three acres.”
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There were no reported injuries to any of the responders or citizens, he said.
Tipp City Fire & Emergency Services responded to 300 Tipp Elizabeth Road at the reserve at 1:08 p.m., Haller said in the statement.
“The campfire that was intentionally started near the Great Miami River spread to the adjacent wooded area. The current low fuel moisture levels played a pivotal role in this situation,” he said.
The fire was located in woods between the prairie and the river. Access was the most difficult part of the event, he said, because it was a 30-minute delay to gain access to the area where the fire began because of the terrain. Multiple grass trucks from all over Miami, Montgomery and Clark counties were called in to contain the spread of the flames, Haller said.
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A farmer who owns the field to the east helped by using his machinery to let fire crews gain access from the east to the west, he said.
The situation was contained more than 3 hours later, at 4:40 p.m., Haller said.
Tipp City Electric Department arborists were brought in to extinguish standing dead trees too dangerous to cut down.
West Milton, Bethel, Vandalia, Casstown, Laura, Ludlow Falls, Pleasant Hill, New Carlisle, Bethel-Clark, Fletcher, Troy, Christiansburg, Tipp City police and all off-duty Tipp City Fire & Emergency Services personnel were called to the scene also, Haller said.
“The fire service implores all citizens to stop burning for any type of disposal purposed at this time,” the chief said. “The conditions are not safe to start any type of fire that an individual cannot contain or have the appropriate safety measures in place.”