Fire burns 100-acre field north of Aurora; source unknown

No injuries reported as farmers, firefighters from eight districts work five hours to conquer blaze on Highway FF
A grass fire broke out in a field located on Highway FF, one half mile west of Highway K, north of Aurora on the windy afternoon of Monday, Oct. 28. The blaze charred 100 acres of a biofuel crop, but Brad DeLay, Lawrence County Sheriff, said no one was injured and the only damage done was to the crop.
I believe only the field and hay bales (were the only things burned),” he said.
DeLay also said that it was unknown what caused the fire.
“(It’s) undetermined,” he said. “(We’ll) probably will never know for sure.”
DeLay said eight fire protection districts and departments responded to the fire: Mt. Vernon Fire Protection District, Aurora Rural Fire Protection District, Marionville City Fire, Miller City Fire, Stotts City Fire Protection District, Miller Rural Fire Protection District, Monett Rural Fire Protection District and Halltown Fire Protection District. The Missouri Department of Conservation also responded with two bulldozers.
“The initial call was actually in the Aurora Rural Fire Protection District,” DeLay said. “Mt. Vernon … and all the others (provided) mutual aided (to) them.”
It was reported that about 50,000 gallons of water were used to bring the fire under control, and that at one point, the fire jumped the highway, but firefighters and farmers were waiting, and they helped to keep the blaze from spreading further.
The fire took about five hours to extinguish, said DeLay.
“We left around 5 p.m.,” he said.
The Aurora Rural Fire Protection District recently put out a notice on Facebook asking locals to refrain from burning due to high winds and dry conditions and to use extreme caution when engaging in activities that could create a fire.
“Burning is highly discouraged,” the notice stated. “Any activity such as welding, brush hogging, or activity that could start a fire needs to be closely monitored. 911 needs to be called quickly so that the fire can be contained before it grows too large.”