Two grass fires in southern Door County kept the Brussels-Union-Gardner Fire Department busy on the Fourth of July. BUG Fire Chief Curt Vandertie says fireworks were the likely causes of both fires. The first fire was about ten feet by 20 feet in the ditch at 891 County DK, between the road and Highway 57 in the town of Union. Vandertie says the fire was put out by nearby people and crews used 25 gallons of water to wet down the area after arriving around 9:30 p.m. About 15 minutes later, BUG Fire Department was dispatched to 3080 Pine Lane, off of County C in the town of Gardner for another grass fire that was described as eight by ten feet in size where fireworks were set off.
The property owner was able to extinguish that fire before the fire crews showed up. Vandertie says his department may institute a burning ban if no substantial rainfall comes in the next day or two.
Vandertie adds that windier conditions have added to the drying out of vegetation, raising higher chances of fire, and that a few people who were issued a fireworks permit chose not to ignite any fireworks on Tuesday.
