Area officials issue no-burn orders

Dry and windy conditions sparked grass fires in recent days -- including one that destroyed 53 used cars near Sikeston on Thursday -- prompting area fire officials to issue no-burn orders.

Jackson and Cape Girardeau County officials issued no-burn orders around midday on Friday. The cities of Cape Girardeau and Sikeston earlier had issued no-burn orders. Fire officials said the no-fire bans will remain in effect until the winds die down and the area receives some rain.

Sikeston Department of Public Safety officers responded to a grass fire at 3 p.m. Thursday that burned cars belonging to Danny's Auto Sales. The fire occurred on a storage lot along U.S. 61 south of Sikeston.

"It was a pretty hot fire," said Danny Stidham, owner of the used-car business. "All the cars were pretty well burned."

The cars were being stored until they could be fixed up for resale, he said. The dealership is in the city of Sikeston, several miles from the storage site.

Stidham was at the dealership when the fire broke out. DPS officials said a wrecker backfired, apparently sparking the blaze. In addition to burning cars, it also damaged a nearby building before firefighters could contain it.

Sikeston Department of Public Safety director Drew Juden urged the public to refrain from burning leaves and brush for now.

The Cape Girardeau area received 2.01 inches of rain in February, 1.28 inches below normal for the month, the National Weather Service in Paducah, Ky., said.

Humidity was a paltry 18 percent on Thursday at the Cape Girardeau Regional Airport.

Humidity by midafternoon Friday was 35 percent. The area experienced 10 mph winds, gusting to 17 mph, said Weather Service meteorologist Kelly Hooper.

"It is a lack of moisture combined with high winds that make fires very hard to contain," Hooper said.

But forecasters say rain -- a 60 percent chance -- is forecast for the region as early as Sunday.

That's welcome news for firefighters.

Cape Girardeau County Emergency Operations Center director Dave Hitt said county fire departments have battled eight grass fires in the last nine days.

Jackson fire chief Brad Golden said a shed fire Thursday night spread to the nearby yard before it was contained. "It is pretty unusual for that late in the evening for grass to burn that fast," he said.

Golden said people could be ticketed and fined for burning leaves and yard waste while the no-burn order is in effect. But in most cases they get off with a warning, he said.

Cape Girardeau fire chief Rick Ennis said his department has had a no-burn order in effect for much of the week. Even so, firefighters responded to three grass fires in Cape Girardeau in the past three days.

Residents reported they were unaware of the no-burn order when they decided to burn leaves, Ennis said.

mbliss@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 123