CFVD Stations nine and 10 along with Liverpool Township Stations seven and eight responded to a brush fire behind the Walmart and TJ Maxx at Summit Square Shopping Center.

Calcutta Fire Chief Dave McCoy said the fire for which the department was called out at 11:35 a.m. appeared to be caused by a campfire from someone camping down in the woods. McCoy noted that people have been camping in that area near Walmart and they found two campsites there and two tents that were set up there that had been blown over by the wind.

McCoy said he heard that the campers could be homeless people, but he doesn’t know and can’t confirm that.

The fire was contained to less than under an acre of land.

McCoy said the brush fire was difficult to get to and there were four forestry lines (hoses) stretched out a combined close to 2,500 to 2,800 feet of hose to put the fire out. It took all the hoses the departments had on the trucks.

The fire is not being investigated.

While the department was still at the scene of the fire, shortly before leaving the Walmart parking lot there was a motor vehicle accident they responded to. McCoy said one vehicle was damaged bad enough it had to be towed from the scene

CVFD then responded to a downed tree nearly covering both lanes of Old Fredericktown Road at 4:52 p.m.

McCoy said it took the fire department, which responded with one truck, about 15 minutes to cut and remove the tree.

Shortly after responding to the downed tree, the CVFD responded to a call on Sprucevale Road of an unattended fire about 10 feet high. McCoy said that the fire was a controlled burn, and it was just prior to 6 p.m., the time when burning is permitted. By the time the department arrived it was already 6 p.m. McCoy said since it was already 6 p.m., they advised the person of the burn ban in effect and let him continue since it was a clean burn.

There were no injuries during any of the incidents

McCoy once again is reminding residents that there is a statewide mandatory burn ban in effect through the end of May, during which burning is prohibited between the hours of 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com

Lt. Andrew Stephen, CVFD, works to extinguish a brush fire in the woods behind the Summit Square Shopping Center. Firefighters from Calcutta Volunteer Department stations nine and 10 and East Liverpool Volunteer Fire Department stations seven and eight work to put out a brush fire in the woods behind Summit Square Shopping Center. (Photos courtesy of the Calcutta Volunteer Fire Department.)