Columbia house fire raises concerns over fall fire risks
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
Boone County Fire Protection District responded to a call around 4:03 p.m. about a residential structure fire on 221 North Rainbow Drive in Boone County.
Seven units and 12 personnel were dispatched to the scene, and once they arrived, they saw smoke coming from the outside of the house, according to Boone County Fire Lieutenant Joey Rimel.
No one was injured in the fire, and Rimel said the preliminary causes are linked to improper disposal of "cooking material," such as coal, from a grill. He said that the dry weather, low humidity and fall leaves caught the grass on fire, which then spread to the outside of the home.
As leaves start to fall, it is a time for residents to stay alert due to the increase in fire risk.
"When we get to the fall, it's not so much unique; it's almost scheduled, we get into the fall fire season," Rimel said. As we get into autumn, those things are flammable. They're flashy fuels.
For the fall season, there is a higher risk of vegetation or natural cover fires due to the dry season and plants drying out.
"We're not so much in a drought, but during the drier season, things are dying, the foliage is dying of grass," Rimel said.
Rimel said many residents choose to burn off leaves, with improper management of controlled burns, which tends to contribute to fire spread. He recommends that residents avoid burning materials near their homes or burning leaves in general during the fall fire season.
"Take those and dispose of them in the proper fashion. That's not going to increase the risk of fire extension to your home," Rimel said. "That'd be really embarrassing if you're burning up your leaves in your yard and you burn your house down. So we don't want that's the last thing we want."
There are small preventative measures residents can take to help protect their homes, like inspecting the outside of their house and cleaning, trimming, and maintaining plants, anthills, or downed trees that surround the exterior that could contribute to a fire, according to Rimel.
Rimel said that with October being fire safety month, it is a good time for residents to stay alert by ensuring their home has working smoke detectors and talking about an escape plan in case of an emergency.
"Especially if you have young children, so they understand how to call 911 and know their address," Rimel said. "It's just a good reminder that we need the public to be prepared, this is a good time, especially throughout the community, to think about these types of things and lean forward and be prepared in case something does happen."
