CONSTANTINE (WKZO) — Grass Fires are a growing problem and fire crews are hoping that rain this week will reduce the flammability of the great outdoors.
A grass fire is being blamed for destroying a home and five cars on Youngs Prairie Road near Constantine.
A family was burning brush and did not do an adequate job of making sure that all the embers were out. Wind whipped it up into a grass fire that spread to the house.
Oshtemo Township fire Chief Fred Barnes says a lot of brush gets burned in the spring, but property owners have to take adequate precautions.
Keep a garden hose nearby if you are going to start a brush fire, or just hang on to the material until the area greens up again and its safe to burn.
There was another fire closer to Kalamazoo that looked from a distance it looked like KVCC might be on fire, but the pillar of smoke rising from O Avenue and 9th Street was actually coming from an old barn next to the college that appeared to be housing construction equipment.
By the time fire crews were alerted and responded to the rural location, the fire had fully engulfed the building and the job for firefighters was to put out the grass fires that threatened homes in the area.
They will be looking for the cause of the fire this week.
