COUNTRY RURAL FIREFIGHTERS BATTLE BLAZES

FRUITLAND - Rural Cape Girardeau County firefighters spent most of Easter Sunday fighting a grass and brush fire in the eastern part of the county.

Fruitland Fire Chief Marty Schuesler said the first fire was reported at about 11 a.m., when an unattended trash fire ignited dry grass in the Shawnee Hills Subdivision, along Highway 61, west of Shawneetown.

Schuesler said the fire burned about 6-7 acres of grass, but there was no damage to buildings. Fruitland firefighters were called to assist the North County Fire Department.

A short time later, Fruitland firefighters were called out at 1:30 p.m., this time to a woods fire in their district. The fire was located one mile southwest of Leemon on County Road 605.

"About 8-10 acres of woods was burned, but there was no damage to any structures, although the fire did come close to two houses," Schuesler said. The chief said it took about 1 hours to put out the fire.

Although there has been considerable precipitation in the county the past 45 days, Schuesler explained the shallow soil in the hilly, wooded area of the Fruitland Fire District does not hold ground moisture very long. "It's pretty dry out there right now. We caution everyone to be careful when doing any outdoor burning," Schuesler said.

"An unattended trash fire and stiff wind can cause a grass or woods fire in a big hurry right now."