Ashton, Iowa– Ashton firefighters extinguished two more grass fires this week near Ashton.
According to Ashton Fire Chief Andy Gacke, about 12:20 p.m. on Thursday, April 26th, the Ashton Fire Department was called to the report of a ditch on fire in the Highway 60 northbound ditch, north of Ashton. He says they found the fire about a quarter mile north of Ashton before the first bridge.
The chief says the fire department saw about two acres of grass on fire as they approached the scene. He says they used water to fight the fire, which had been fanned by the wind. He says they were able to keep the fire from damaging a nearby conservation area.
Gacke says no injuries were reported.
He says the cause of the fire is undetermined.
He says they used about 1,200 gallons of water to fight the fire, and the six firefighters were on scene for about an hour.
Then about 1 p.m. on Friday, the Ashton Fire Department was called again, this time to a fire in the public hunting area a mile and a half south of Ashton on the east side of Highway 60. Gacke says that fire was much smaller, but he says it underlines the fact that there are some dry conditions out now after the snow has melted and the wind has been blowing and the sun shining. He urges people to be careful with smoking materials or anything that can get hot. He says a simple cigarette carelessly tossed out a car window could cause a large fire in these conditions.
