Grass Fire

Strong winds fueled a grass fire at 4350 Mount Sterling Road Tuesday afternoon, quickly pushing the fire toward a mobile home and three barns. Clark County Fire Department Battalion Chief William Puckett, right, watched firefighter Kevin Osborne extinguish a section of the blaze. Firefighters and bystanders both battled the blaze, which began near the edge of the highway and moved across an open field. The blaze was extinguished before reaching any structures.

The Nicholasville Fire Department, with the help from the Jessamine County Fire District and the Lexington Fire Department, battled a 2-acre grass fire in Brannon Crossing behind the movie theater Saturday afternoon. Nicholasville firefighters were dispatched to the scene around 4:15 p.m., and when they arrived and discovered the large grass fire, they called in mutual aid assistance from the JCFD with its brush trucks. Due to the location of the fire near the county line, the Lexington Fire Department also responded to the scene.

The Nicholasville Fire Department put out a large grass fire Monday off northbound U.S. 27 near the railroad underpass near the R.J. Corman Hanger. Nicholasville battalion chief David Johns said the fire likely started from either a discarded cigarette or fireworks. As of 3:30 p.m., the Nicholasville Fire Department had put out three grass fires Monday while the Jessamine County Fire District had put out one. Last week, Jessamine County judge-executive Neal Cassity signed an executive order that enacted a burn ban throughout Jessamine County.

Summer 2012 has gotten off to a hot and dry start, causing many communities in central Kentucky, including Jessamine County, to enact burning bans. With more hot and dry weather on the way, Jessamine County and Nicholasville fire officials are concerned that the bangs and booms associated with the Fourth of July holiday will result in an uptick in grass fires. On Tuesday, the National Weather Service issued an “elevated fire danger” warning. “A very strong area of high pressure at the surface and aloft will dominate the Ohio Valley for the next several days,” the bulletin said.

A suspected electrical fire burned approximately 25 acres of grassland, destroying one vehicle and one mobile home. There were no human injuries; however, three canines are believed dead as a result of the fire. The fire, which began about 3 p.m. on the 1800 block of Beaumont Road, took more than two hours for Jessamine County firefighters to get under control.

JUNCTION CITY - Firefighters say an afternoon grass fire Wednesday on Ky. 300 gave no real call for alarm, but it could have. Junction City Chief Jimmy Gipson said the fire was more than likely caused by a cigarette tossed out a vehicle window. Several Boyle County and Junction City firefighters stood by just before 3 p.m. as a few men hosed down the 100-foot long, 50-foot wide strip of land, just beyond the Stewarts Lane intersection, with a thick white foam. "It's Class A white foam," said Captain Randy Faulx of Station 7 in Boyle, who was first on the scene with firefighter Troy Gammon.

- At 7:02 p.m. Friday, firefighters were called to Donaldson Road for a possible rescue. - At 7:06 p.m. Friday, firefighters were called to 621 Colby Road for a tree in the power lines. - At 7:42 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to a grass fire on Memory Lane. - At 11:43 a.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to an alarm sounding at 6 Westchester Drive. - At 7:14 p.m. Sunday, firefighters were called to 2417 Old Boonesboro Road for a downed power line and a grass fire.

CLARK COUNTY SHERIFF Charged - Jack Wilhoit, 19, of 29 Fontaine Blvd., was charged Monday with theft by unlawful taking (two counts). - Shawn Clark, 18, of 12 Village Drive, was charged Monday with theft by unlawful taking (two counts). Reports - At 12:53 p.m. Friday, Jack Clements of 725 Right Angle Road reported that someone broke into his barn and took a finishing mower. - At 5:47 p.m. Saturday, Ronald L. Adamson of 6500 Mount Sterling Road reported that someone took a 16-footy trailer from his property.

- At 7:05 p.m .Friday, firefighters responded to a grass fire at 3150 Water Works Road. - At 11:54 p.m. Friday, firefighters responded to a barn fire at 3153 Water Works Road. - At 6:44 p.m. Saturday, firefighters responded to a brush fire at 33501 Pine Ridge Road. - At 4:37 a.m. Sunday, firefighters responded to a motor vehicle accident on McClure Road. - At 2:04 p.m. Sunday, firefighters assisted EMS¿personnel with a call at Fountain Circle. - At 2:24 p.m. Sunday, firefighters returned to 3501 Pine Ridge Road after the wind reignited the fire.

After 400 years of bondage and slavery in Egypt, Moses, a child saved from execution by the then Pharaoh's command to kill all the Hebrew babies and after being chosen by God to lead the embittered Israelites to His promised land, led them out as free people. These former slaves watched as the estimated 600 chariots, horses and soldiers were drowned in an effort to recapture them.  Having seen the destruction of an army, they were, no doubt, celebrating their release from those who had beaten them, forced them to toil long hours in making bricks without straw, ridiculed them, insulted them and devalued them as human beings while treating them like animals.

Down It's no secret that grass and mulch fires tend to crop up during the dry summer months, but in light of this year's extremely dry and hot stretch, this newspaper gives a hearty thumbs down to those people who carelessly toss smoking materials out from vehicles or simply toss a partially extinguished cigarette on the ground, thus igniting a grass fire. While Jessamine County as a whole is fortunate to have outstanding and professional fire departments staffed with capable firefighters, one must remember that each time they head out to a fire call, they are placing themselves in harm's way. So, instead of tossing your smoke out the window or tossing it onto the ground, put it in your vehicle ashtray or discard of it properly and make sure it is no longer burning.