Small brush fire in Clarendon

CALEB NICKERSON
CLARENDON April 28, 2020
On Tuesday afternoon, members of the Shawville Clarendon Fire Department were called out to a small brush fire at a property on Hwy. 148 near the intersection with chemin Radford in Clarendon.
Fire Chief Lee Laframboise said that four trucks responded to the call, which is standard procedure for a brush fire, though not all were necessary in this instance. He suspected that the remains of a previous fire had reignited due to the dry weather and high winds.
“I think somebody had some coals that were burning from a previous fire and they put them in this pile and they thought they were out,” he said. “Half a day or a day later … I guess the wind got in there … It doesn’t take much to get something going if it’s dry.”
Laframboise estimated that roughly an acre was affected, but noted that the property owner helped contain the fire by moving dirt with his tractor.
He added that as of May 1, there are no open fires allowed in his jurisdiction. Residents can purchase a permit to have fires, but they must be enclosed in a screened in appliance.
“You can buy them or make them, but they need to have a spark arrestor on the top,” Laframboise said.
He added that even with a proper burn barrel setup, if a fire gets out of hand and the department needs to respond, the property owner is on the hook for the cost of the call, which is typically at least $1,000.
“Even if you have a permit, if it gets out of control, you’re responsible,” he said.