by Kate Evans
Area firefighters battled a number of brush fires and weather-related fire calls from last Friday through the weekend and on into Monday during high wind advisories and difficult conditions. Some incidents were major fires that were starting to spread into the woods or that involved outbuildings or home burning.
Sarah Hogbin from the Morgan County 911 Dispatch Center said that area firefighters were on the scene of a brush fire at the 10,000 block of Cacapon Road near Nebo Road for three hours on Friday, March 26.
The fire call came in to Morgan County 911 during the middle of the major wind advisory that was issued Friday for 20 to 30 mile per hour winds with gusts up to 55 miles per hour from 8 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
Hogbin said the cause of the brush fire was an electrical transformer blowing. Great Cacapon, Hancock, Orleans, Needmore, Reynolds Store and Oldtown Volunteer Fire Companies responded to the fire. Cacapon Road was shut down for fire operations.
Area firefighters fought numerous brush fires and handled weather-related fire calls from Friday through Monday as high, gusty winds pummeled the region.
photo by Andy Stotler
Other Friday fires
On Friday firefighters also responded to a brush fire in the 400 block of Myers Road in Berkeley Springs. The fire location was up the hill from the Dollar General past the Catawba Club Apartments about halfway to Johnson Mill Road, she said. The fire covered an area of about 150 yards and was starting to spread to the woods.
Berkeley Springs, South Morgan, Needmore, Orleans and Back Creek Volunteer Fire Companies battled the brush fire.
On Friday area firefighters also fought a structure fire that started as a brush fire on Painted Meadow Lane off Valley Road. Hogbin said that an old trailer camper caught on fire.
Berkeley Springs, Great Cacapon, South Morgan, Hancock, Reynolds Store, Slanesville and Back Creek Volunteer Fire Companies fought the blaze.
Sunday fires
Another wind advisory was issued for the area for winds of 15-25 miles an hour with gusts up to 45 miles an hour from 2:00 p.m. Sunday to Monday at 4:00 a.m.
Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company responded to a transformer fire on Susan Terrace on Sunday. Power lines went down in the 1800 block of Valley Road near Blue Flame. Berkeley Springs and Great Cacapon firefighters responded to the incident.
Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Company also extinguished several small trees that caught on fire in the 2000 block of Rockford Road after power lines came down.
Monday fire
On Monday afternoon, Paw Paw, Great Cacapon, and Oldtown Volunteer Fire Companies were assisting Hampshire County Volunteer Fire Companies with a Pin Oak Road house fire that started as a brush fire. Berkeley Springs, Reynolds Store and Gainesboro Volunteer Fire Companies were also called to the scene.
Paw Paw and Great Cacapon Volunteer Fire Companies assisted Hampshire County with several brush fire calls over the weekend.
Paw Paw firefighters responded to a brush fire on Okonoko Road near Levels, a three acres and spreading brush fire on Crooked Stream Road and a small brush fire on Bronze Turkey Court with a small outbuilding on fire that was upgraded to a house fire-all as mutual aid to Hampshire County.
Paw Paw, Great Cacapon and Slanesville firefighters responded to a small outside fire on Winchester Street in Paw Paw where three-quarters of an acre was on fire and spreading toward a house.
Berkeley Springs Volunteer Fire Company also responded as mutual aid to Fulton County for a garage fire on Gordon Road.
