Because of dry conditions and gusting winds yesterday, five fires broke out in the counties of Howard, Randolph  and Chariton prompting fire officials to declare burn bans.

At about 7 p.m., firefighters from the Howard County Fire Protection District Stations 1 and 3 were dispatched to the Payne Farm along Route A where a controlled burn got out of control and eventually burnt 15 acres. The fire even jumped the road and burnt the field across from the original burn site. Twenty-six firefighters used several trucks and equipment to bring the fire under control after about two and a half hours.

Firefighters from the Armstrong Fire Protection District  (AFPD) were called at about 8 p.m. on Sunday to assist a brush fire near Huntsville in Randolph County. AFPD Fire Chief Anthony Shiflett reported that the fire was also a controlled burn that got out of control and that about 15 acres were burnt.

The Glasgow Fire Protection District was called at the same time to two fires on Sunday evening at about 8 p.m.: a fire on 15th Street and a brush fire about two miles north of Glasgow in Chariton County. Firefighters extinguished both fires within an hour. Glasgow Fire Chief Curtis Black said, “It’s was so dry and when the wind picked up, any spark or flame just took off.”

Fire Protection Districts of Howard County, Glasgow and Armstrong all have burn bans in place.