Date tree orchard catches on fire
Rural/Metro firefighters put out a fire at a date tree orchard on Wednesday morning that burned about an estimated quarter of a mile strip worth of trees, according to a department spokesperson.
Charly McMurdie said shortly before 10 a.m. the Rural Metro dispatch center began receiving 911 calls reporting trees on fire at South Avenue A 1/2 and County 18th Street.
McMurdie said four fire engines, a water tender and two rescue trucks were dispatched to the scene and that when firefighters arrived on scene they found multiple date trees burning and several homes in the immediate vicinity endangered.
Firefighters were on scene for about six hours extinguishing the fire and checking for any potential hotspots.
During the fire, nearby residents of homes that weren’t endangered were protecting their property by spraying their houses and yards with water hoses.
“We took care of the homes that were endangered by the fire, while nearby homeowners were taking care of their own property,” McMurdie said. “We wouldn’t have allowed anybody to stay in the vicinity if their property was in danger.”
There were no reports of any injuries and no homes were lost. The only damage done was to trees in the orchard. McMurdie said the cause of the fire is unknown but is under investigation.