BAINBRIDGE – Fire departments spanning three counties arrived to a scene many of them face year after year in early spring.
A brush fire that consumed a swath of nearly 20 acres of a side hill meadow and woods was called into the Chenango County 911 at 2:30 p.m.
“Luckily we had ample manpower through the mutual aid system and we were able to mobilize our resources and surround the fire quickly,” said Chenango County Fire Coordinator Matthew Beckwith who set up an incident command post at the base of hill near 2843 State Highway 7 in Bainbridge.
Beckwith indicated that at the time of the initial call, and shortly after when the first response crews arrived, the brush fire was approximately five-to-seven acres in size; “But that changed very quickly, as brush fires often do,” said the Fire Coordinator.
Wednesday's isolated wind gust topping out at about 25 miles-per-hour quickly escalated the incident and changed the direction of the fire's pah toward dwellings and a centuries-old dairy barn.
“It was pretty nerve wracking for a little while there, and our primary concern was saving the home and other structures that became threatened by the blaze,” said Beckwith.
As of press time, Beckwith wasn't sure of the cause and indicated that State Forrest Rangers are still investigating the matter, and no one has been held responsible for the charred property.
“We cannot stress enough to residents how important it is to follow the safety guidelines regarding the State and County Fire bans,” said Beckwith. “After the Rangers complete their investigation, if someone is found responsible they could face some pretty stiff penalties.”
Beckwith said that if a property — including land and structures — are damaged my a responsible party during the fire ban, which is in effect until mid-May, that person(s) can be charged with arson, face punitive penalties and even incarceration depending on the severity.
“It is especially dry this spring because of the lack of snowfall over the past winter season, so people absolutely need to be responsible and follow the laws. Even if someone is burning in trash burn barrel (which is illegal in N.Y.), all it take is one ember and the wind to set someone else's property on fire and place others in harms way.”
The New York State burn ban went into effect on March 16 and remain in effect through May 14, and is subject to change depending on weather conditions.
“If anyone has any doubt, the best thing they can do is reach out to their local fire department or hop on the Chenango County or N.Y. State Fire websites. All the information is available for free, 24/7,” said Beckwith.
Violators of the state open burning regulation are subject to both criminal and civil enforcement actions, with a minimum fine of $500 for a first offense.
Additional information can be obtained on the NYSDEC website located at http://www.dec.ny.gov/press/105375.html
To report open burning and other environmental law violations call 1-800-TIPP DEC.