Cardboard burning leads to fire along Route Z
By Stephanie Southey
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BOONE COUNTY, Missouri (KOMU) — Firefighters from the Boone County Fire Protection District (BCFPD) were on scene of a fire for over five hours Wednesday afternoon.
The fire caused Route Z, between East Rob Cook Road and East Timmons Road, to close close.
Doug Westhoff, deputy chief for BCFPD, said crews were called to the fire just before 2 p.m. Wednesday.
It was first reported as a natural cover fire, but Westhoff said a resident was burning cardboard and a piece flew into the woods nearby.
“Unfortunately those woods are littered with vehicles, essentially it’s a salvage yard in there. There are stacks of building materials, styrofoam, outbuildings, cars, you name it, it’s in there,” Westhoff said. “You can’t even walk through the woods.”
Deputies from the Boone County Sheriff’s Office are also on scene. Capt. Brian Leer told KOMU 8 an adult male was arrested because he was “interfering with the fire department’s efforts to safely fight the fire.”
“The male was arrested; however, he hasn’t been booked/processed at the jail yet. Our personnel are still assisting out there,” Leer said.
Westhoff said the number of items located on the property have made it difficult to fully put out flames.
“As those outbuildings and cars light up, it creates a lot of heat and sparks,” Westhoff said. “We actually had some embers float across Route Z onto the east side of Route Z. It’s been quite a challenge with the weather conditions we’re dealing with today.”
Propane tanks and fuel in vehicles are a concern, according to Westhoff. He said crews even felt the ground shake a little due to minor explosions.
“On multiple occasions I actually had people pull back to a perimeter, to a safe distance, because those volatile tanks were releasing, and tires …,” Westhoff said. “Certainly nothing in those woods worth getting hurt over.”
The BCFPD also had to bring in heavy equipment to move cars.
“There’s a shack with vehicles stacked right up against it and vehicles touching each other, about 75 yards, and then another building, so it’s just a continuous line of fuel,” Westhoff said.
Fire crews will continue to establish a perimeter and will return throughout the evening to check on it. Westhoff said crews should clear out by 7 p.m.
Drivers should find an alternative route.
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