Dry weather conditions lead NWS to declare red flag warning in county

Monday, November 23, 2020
Ivy Jacobs photos - Pictured above are remnants of fires that broke out on Friday night on Happy Holler Road in Clay County.

A RED FLAG Warning was issued November 19 until 7 p.m. by National Weather Service in Indianapolis for Clay County. Around 10:10 p.m., a resident came home to discover a brush fire in the area of several homes near 4800 North Happy Holler Road.

“When our first firefighter got there, half of the backyard was on fire, a barn was on fire, and half of the woods was on fire. The tops of the trees were on fire, and it was moving south toward two more homes,” said Posey Fire Chief Cody Barnard about the three-alarm fire involving Posey, Dick Johnson, and Jackson Township volunteer fire departments. “There was every bit of an acre on fire. It could have been catastrophic.”

One homeowner said they didn’t even know there was a fire until the fire trucks pulled up in their driveway, and the lights began flashing in their living room.

Ivy Jacobs photos - Pictured above are remnants of fires that broke out on Friday night on Happy Holler Road in Clay County.

According to the National Weather Service, RED FLAG Warning conditions (higher fire danger) occur when the following criteria are met or exceeded:

* Sustained wind speeds of 20 mph or frequent gusts above 20 mph for at least 3 hours

* Relative humidity values at or below 25 percent for at least 3 hours

POSEY TOWNSHIP VOLUNTEER FIRE DEPARTMENT application information provided by Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) around the community to find new candidates. Interested in becoming a firefighter? Contact the PTVFD by using the information on the pamphlets. log onto their Facebook page (facebook.com/Poseyfireclaycounty), email at poseyfire@nwcable.net, or www.VolunteerFireIN.org.

* In Indiana and Ohio only, 10-hour fuels (small twigs, branches, grass, and leaves) have a moisture content of 7 to 8 percent or less

Although the warning ended at 7 p.m. Thursday in Clay County, the conditions remained, which allowed the brush fire to spread faster, and the embers from that fire took flight and ignited other hot spots.

Barnard confirmed the first unidentified Posey firefighter on the scene became exhausted and dehydrated while aggressively attacking the fire before backup arrived. STAR Ambulance personnel checked out the firefighter as a precaution, and he felt better after being allowed to rest. No further injuries were reported during the incident.

Meanwhile, struggling with limited manpower and not enough water, Barnard explained the fire’s site was overwhelming. According to Barnard, the fire was contained relatively quickly by water, but firefighters had to physically use hand tools to put out all the hot spots that popped up because of the wind. The brush trucks could not get back into the wooded area.

“Whether there’s a burn ban or a RED FLAG Warning issued, people have to use common sense. They are saying you shouldn’t be burning anything,” said the fire chief. “Unfortunately, it appears common sense is gone. Whether you monitor that fire or not, if that wind picks up, it doesn’t take very long before that wind to kick up those hot embers. Before you know it, the whole back yard is on fire. Or, like last night, your neighbor’s barn is on fire. Or worse.”

“I could see the glow of that fire from the four-way stop in Staunton,” he said, adding the RED FLAG Warnings make the public, as well as local fire officials, aware of increased fire risks spreading out of control and allows for resource allocation in the event of a fire. “We only had seven firefighters respond from three agencies to this fire. That is a problem facing every volunteer fire department across the nation, and right here.”

However, Barnard said the more significant problem is having the manpower to respond when called upon. When several departments experience a shortage of manpower, it affects them all.

“I have had people complain because their fire department has to leave their township to help others,” Barnard said. “They say, ‘Why can’t you take care of your own stuff?’”

Barnard says that is a good question, and he would love to give people an answer.

“But I can’t. I don’t have one,” he said, adding it’s frustrating when volunteer fire departments have the human resources, but people won’t show up when needed. “Right now, we have two firefighters out because they are COVID-19 positive. They are expected to return next week. COVID-19 has not drastically affected the department.”

Some people work and can’t go when called, which is understandable to Barnard.

But there are people, said Barnard, who are at home in bed and don’t want to be bothered with the inconvenience of helping a neighbor.

There are “go-getters” out there, but they are few.

“I have two firefighters, my oldest firefighters on the department, they are in their 70s, and they make 80% of the runs,” said Barnard. “They look great. But they are reaching an age where they shouldn’t carry the department’s burden on their shoulders. They shouldn’t be doing the grunt work.”

That is why, according to Barnard, many fire departments need an influx of young volunteers in the fire service. The Posey fire department has an incentive program that pays firefighters for attending meetings, training sessions, performing work duty, and going on calls. The incentives are paid at the end of the year, near Christmas.

“It’s a nice little check that helps out during the holidays,” said Barnard. “Problem is, they don’t show up at the fire and medical calls. If money doesn’t motivate people, what does?”

Barnard believes the old theory that a volunteer has a passion for the profession; they want to help their neighbors and be an active part of their community.

“We are looking for people who have a passion, a desire to serve, to apply to the fire service,” said Barnard. He will be placing application information provided by Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grants (SAFER) around the community to find new candidates. “Anyone interested can contact us using the pamphlets. log onto our Facebook page (facebook.com/Poseyfireclaycounty), email at poseyfire@nwcable.net, or www.VolunteerFireIN.org.”

To learn more about RED FLAG Warnings, log onto www.weather.gov/iwx/fireweatherrisk for current and useful information.

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