Sue Sitter/PCT Charred cattails line a Pierce County slough. Commissioners put a countywide burn ban into effect April 6.

Rugby volunteer firefighters saw a busy week in early April when they responded to four fires throughout Pierce County.

“In the last week, we’ve been to one Monday, one Thursday, one Friday and then again on Monday. So, four in one week,” said Derek Bush, fire department chief.

“The one on Monday was some guy was trying to light a hay bale on fire and there were 50 mile an hour winds. The embers were burning and that night, there were 50 mile an hour winds. It was blowing the embers toward his trees,” Bush said. “So, we went out and put all the hot spots out.”

Next came a Thursday afternoon brush fire at Pleasant Lake east of Rugby. “That supposedly started a month ago,” Bush said. “We were told by the landowner it was smoldering. It started up and took off.”

“That one, we worked about seven hours fighting that one,” Bush said. “We couldn’t get it all out. We couldn’t get to it. The fire was in the middle (of a patch of brush surrounded by a lake).”

Bush said firefighters finally got control of the stubborn fire by using backfires to make the fire burn itself out.

However, he said his department spent “about twelve hours in total” on the blaze.

“It was a rough one,” he said. “We were pretty tired when we got done with that one.”

Bush spoke with Pierce County Emergency Manager Kelsey Siegler, who recommended Pierce County Commissioners put a burn ban into effect in the county.

The following night, a fire siren called Bush away from a Rugby City Council meeting.

“The one Monday night was somebody decided to light an old pile of stubble on fire,” Bush said. “There was really no danger but we ran out and put it out because of the burn ban.”

Bush said he’s noticed most Pierce County residents are complying with the ban.

“It’s dry,” he said. “Most people are understanding it’s that bad out.”

Bush had some simple recommendations to stay fire safe in dry weather.

“Pretty much, don’t burn,” he said. ” You’ve got to worry about your fire pits because you get some bad wood and a spark will fly out once in awhile. Put it on cement.”

Bush added, “The other night, a farmer asked, ‘What will we do when we’re farming and we hit a rock and a spark ignites a fire?’ Well, that’s an accident. You can’t prevent that accidental stuff, really.”

“The problem is some farmers want to burn some cattail sloughs off and that’s a bad idea,” Bush noted. You shouldn’t do it. That’s why the burn ban’s in effect. I know they’ve handed out some citations for it.”