Howard County firemen were especially busy during the blustery weekend. On Friday, members of the Glasgow Fire Department spent around seven hours fighting a 500-acre natural-cover fire on the Saline County side of the river.

On Saturday, firemen from Howard County Fire Protection District Stations 2 and 4 were dispatched to aid in fighting the fire that destroyed about half of the town of Wooldridge in rural Cooper County. The fire destroyed around 20 homes. The entire town was evacuated. The fire, which likely was started by a combine while harvesting a field, caused both lanes of Interstate 70 to be shut down. No one died in the fire, but several people were treated for burns.

Bryan Kunze, from the Howard County Emergency Management Office, hauled the county’s shelter trailer, which contains dozens of cots, to Boonville to aid those who were forced to flee Wooldridge.

Things did not let up on Sunday. Shortly before 8:30 p.m., wind blew down a large tree on Crib Street, knocking out power. A limb from the tree broke through the roof of a home and into a bedroom. No injuries were reported.

An hour later, crews responded to a natural-cover fire on County Road 237 near Armstrong. Howard County Fire Protection District Stations 1, 3, and 4 responded and were aided by firemen from Glasgow, Armstrong, and Huntsville. Firemen were able to contain the fire before it reached a barn and the nearby Pierce nursing home.

Like many counties throughout Missouri, Howard County has been in a red flag warning for several days due to the high winds. Monday’s rainfall came as welcome relief as the fire in Wooldridge continues to smolder.

This rash of activity also highlights the growing need for more firemen in Fayette and Howard County.