Despite warnings from the National Weather Service of erratic fire spread from outdoor burning, several area departments responded to multiple fire incidents on a wild weather Sunday. 

The main such incident was large brush fire in the bluffs Sunday afternoon in the area of Carr Road just north of Prairie du Rocher village limits.

This fire was reported about 12:40 p.m., and originated as a controlled burn.

The unseasonably warm weather on the second full day of spring – with highs in the 90s – prompted some mutual aid to prevent firefighters from experiencing heat exhaustion. 

Strong wind gusts and rough terrain also made firefighting efforts difficult.

Responding fire departments included Prairie du Rocher, Maeystown, Red Bud, Valmeyer, Ellis Grove, Evansville, Waterloo and Chester.

Prairie du Rocher Fire Department Captain Tyler Barbeau, who served as incident commander during the fire, confirmed that blaze did begin as a controlled burn, eventually covering roughly four acres.

Prairie du Rocher Fire Department Chief Ryan Walker indicated that the substantial demand for manpower during the incident wasn’t entirely due to the size of the fire but its location as having to negotiate the rough incline of the bluff exhausted responders before they even began battling the blaze.

Walker further bemoaned the intense winds, noting how the fire kept blowing over the breaks set up to contain it.

Damage caused by the fire, he said, didn’t affect any structures, nor was he aware of any injuries. Some responders did receive attention in ambulances on-scene, though this was seemingly for heat exhaustion or other relatively minor concerns.

Concerning the origins of the fire, Walker indicated that a controlled burn was conducted by contractors through IDNR, with that area often being burned every one to two years.

The Republic-Times reached out to IDNR for additional information on this fire incident but was informed such information wouldn’t be available in time for publication on Tuesday.

Waterloo Fire Chief Mike Lloyd said his department was “stretched thin” on Sunday due to this initial fire incident plus other ensuing calls.

“Luckily we had the manpower and trucks to respond to everything,” Lloyd said. “We also informed Columbia and Hecker at the time of the Rocher call-out that the county would be limited on resources with Rocher, Maeystown, Red Bud, Valmeyer and Waterloo  tied up at the south end of the county.”

The WFD assisted at the Prairie du Rocher brush fire with one of its brush trucks and manpower.

“Our guys assisted IDNR on the west and north side cutting fire breaks while the brush truck worked on the east around a couple of structures and hot spots,” Lloyd said.

While still assisting with this fire in the bluffs, the WFD was called about 5:15 p.m. to a downed power pole that resulted in a brush fire in the area of 3300 KK Road east of Maeystown Road.

“We had guys respond from the firehouse with our other brush truck, pumper and tanker,” Lloyd said. 

Ameren was dispatched to the scene of this incident, with the Monroe County Emergency Management Agency also assisting.

The Monroe County Sheriff’s Department assisted in a closure of the roadway due to oil from a transformer at this site.

Then at about 5:45 p.m., the Waterloo, Columbia and Maeystown fire departments responded to a fire involving multiple structures on a farm property in the 3500 block of Hanover Road near Gall Road south of Columbia.

Shortly before 6:10 p.m., a fire official told emergency dispatch that crews were “getting a handle on it.”

Strong wind gusts of 35-plus miles per hour made firefighting efforts difficult. Ameren was also dispatched to this scene to disconnect electricity on the property.

“There were two outbuildings on fire along with it spreading to two more sheds,” Lloyd explained, adding these were close to propane tanks and the house and multiple trees on fire. “We pulled our remaining manpower and trucks from the firehouse, responded with a pumper and tanker from the KK Road call and myself and manpower from the Rocher call.” 

The WFD returned to the Hanover Road incident later Sunday night due to two trees that reignited due to the wind.

The Columbia Fire Department also responded to assist the Millstadt and Prairie du Pont fire departments shortly before 7 p.m. with a brush fire on Spring Valley Farm Lane between Dupo and Millstadt.

A firefighter sustained a possible broken nose during this incident.

“Overall, a great response from all agencies with everything going on all at once,” Lloyd said. “All the fire departments, Monroe County EMS, Monroe County Sheriff’s Department and Monroe County and Columbia dispatch did a great job handling all of the calls.”