Last week’s issue of the Republic-Times featured an article covering several fires which took place during extreme weather conditions Sunday, March 22, taxing fire departments throughout the area.

A large brush fire in the bluffs that afternoon in the area of Carr Road just north of Prairie du Rocher village limits was particularly substantial, with eight departments in the area being called in to assist.

Additional assistance came from the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, and though the Republic-Times contacted a representative of that department, IDNR was unable to offer comment in time for last week’s paper.

On Thursday, IDNR Director of Communications Jayette Bolinski provided additional information on the incident, noting the fire began as a prescribed burn covering 3.5 acres and was conducted by “an experienced contractor who is an Illinois Certified Prescribed Burn Manager.”

It’s undetermined how this fire got out of control, though Bolinski said the fire spread into additional wooded portions of the preserve as well as some woods on an adjacent property, ultimately burning seven acres.

Speaking on how the IDNR came to be involved in the response, she said, “fire departments and the IDNR work cooperatively on occasion on wildland fires in the bluffs. IDNR has personnel trained in wildland fire response. Staff from the Illinois Nature Preserves Commission IDNR’s Division of Forestry are familiar with the terrain at the location of the fire, so they worked cooperatively with local fire departments to assist in containing the fire.”