STUYVESANT — A large brush fire kept firefighters busy for more than four hours on Tuesday afternoon in Stuyvesant.
“It was a tough fire to fight,” said Stuyvesant fire chief Steve Montie on Wednesday.
Some brush burned, but the bulk of the fire consumed piles of cut-down trees, wood and other items. Some of the material that was burning was buried underground, Montie said.
At about 3:30 p.m., Columbia County 911 sent Stuyvesant Fire Company to 823 Eichybush Road, after receiving reports of a brush fire that had consumed about 100 feet of land.
When firefighters arrived on the scene, the fire had expanded and fire officials determined that mutual-aid assistance was necessary, and seven additional fire companies responded with brush fighting equipment.
The area that was burning was located about half a mile off Eichybush Road, in the middle of a large field.
Fire trucks were able to use one of the dirt roads on the farm to get to the fire, but driving the trucks around the fire scene was more difficult.
“Some trucks became stuck as they were being shuffled around the scene, which was very muddy,” Montie said.
Firefighters used a pond on the property as a water source.
Heavy equipment, including an excavator, a payloader and bulldozer were used to pull apart the piles of trees so firefighters could get more water on them, Montie said.
Smoke from the fire was visible from several miles away.
The fire began because the property owner was burning materials, Montie said.
State Department of Environmental Conservation Police ticketed the property owner for illegal burning, Montie said.
The New York State Burn Ban, which went into effect on March 16, expires this Saturday. The annual brush burning ban was established to prevent wildfires and protect communities during heightened conditions for wildfires each spring.
The fire was brought under control after about four hours, Montie said.
More than one acre was blackened in the fire, Montie said.
There were no reported injuries.
Fire companies that assisted Stuyvesant were: Stuyvesant Falls, Kinderhook, Niverville, Valatie, Stockport, West Ghent, and Chatham.
Stottville was placed on stand-by, in the Stuyvesant firehouse.
Also assisting at the scene were: Valatie Rescue Squad, Columbia County Sheriff’s Office, Department of Environmental Conservation Police, and Columbia County Fire Coordinator’s Office.
The National Weather Service in Albany had placed 15 counties, including Columbia, under an Elevated Risk of Fire Spread on Tuesday. The combination of relative humidity values dropping to 15 to 25%, winds gusting between 20 to 25 miles per hour, and dry conditions will contribute to an elevated risk of wildfire spread. The warning was later extended to include Wednesday.