New fire burns in Madison County
Published at | Updated at
UPDATE:
The Madison County Sheriff’s Office has announced that roads are closed from 7800 South and Squires Dugway south to 9600 South and east to 2600 East.
“Please avoid the area while crews and emergency vehicles move through,” the sheriff’s office said in a Facebook post around 7 p.m. Wednesday.
Like the fire department, the sheriff’s office emphasized that drones should not be flown in the area, as they could “stop air operations and hinder the firefighting effort.”
ORIGINAL STORY:
The following is a news release from the Madison Fire Department.
At 2:25 p.m., Madison Fire Department responded to a report of a brush fire located in the area of 9000 South and 1600 East, in the Sunnydell area south of Rexburg.
Repair work was being done on a railroad bridge, and a spark from grinding operations started a fire that the railroad workers were unable to extinguish. The fire rapidly spread to a grain field and then to the hillside into sagebrush.
This fire has been named the Byrne Side Fire and is being considered a hazard fire associated with the Big Rock Fire.
This new fire is being fought by on-duty responders from Madison Fire Department, and resources from the nearby Big Rock Fire, as well as mutual aid partners, were called to help.
These firefighters, plus air resources, bulldozers and farmers, are all working together to minimize the spread of this fire. There are 25 apparatus, numerous tractors, and 60–70 personnel.
The fire is estimated to be around 100 acres at this time.
We ask that the public avoid the area to allow firefighting personnel to have the full access they need to fight the fire.
Please also remember that no drones should be near the fire. Firefighting aircraft may be forced to stop operations, delaying suppression efforts and putting lives and property at greater risk. If you fly, they can’t.
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