Several fires in and around Howard County have kept fire departments busy as high winds spread blazes. 

On Saturday, December 3, a mobile home on County Road 433 near Rocheport caught fire in the overnight hours and completely burned. The occupants were awakened by loud popping noises and found their microwave sparking. All four residents, including two children, escaped. The fire also burned a car parked in front of the residence. Firemen from Stations 1, 2, and 4 responded.

Later that night, firemen responded to a call to County Road 123 near Higbee for a reported structure fire at 7:05 p.m. An abandoned mobile home that was burned by the owner and not reported as a controlled burn. Firemen from Stations 1, 3, Armstrong, and Higbee responded.

Shortly before 6 p.m. on Sunday, December 4, firemen responded to a call on Union Street in New Franklin for a garage with a car on fire. The building and car were destroyed. Firemen from Stations 1, 2, and 4 responded.

On Monday, December 5, at 6 p.m. firemen from Stations 1 and 3 responded to County Road 117 near Harrisburg for a structure fire with vehicles involved. It is believed that embers from a wood stove caught leaves and trees on fire that spread to a shop and an unoccupied mobile home. Firemen were able to prevent the fire from spreading to the main residence and further into the woods. The shop and mobile home, as well as seven or eight vehicles, were destroyed. Firemen were on the scene for about four hours.

On Friday, December 9, firemen responded to a fire at a flea market building along U.S. 40 in the Franklin bottoms around 12:30 pm. The building was a total loss. Firemen from Stations 1, 2, and 4, along with those from Boonville and Cooper County, responded.