Fire departments across Washington County were busy over the weekend responding to multiple field fires before Monday’s rain arrived. There were six fires Saturday and two more on Sunday. On Saturday at 9:26 a.m. the Crawfordsville Fire Department went to 3211 Vine Avenue to extinguish a field fire. At 11:11 a.m. Brighton Fire Department extinguished a field fire near 136th Street and Tamarac Avenue. At 12:17 p.m. the Washington Fire Department put out a fire at 2361 220th Street. In the afternoon at 1:05 p.m. Wellman Fire Department extinguished six hay bales on fire at 3095 V Avenue, and less than 10 minutes later they were called to a grass fire that was out of control at 3332 U Avenue. Kalona, Williamsburg, and North Keokuk Fire Departments assisted at the scene. At 2:40 p.m. Brighton Fire Department was called to a grass fire out of control 1263 Walnut Avenue. At 5:28 p.m. a CRP field fire was out of control at 1506 Walnut Avenue and Brighton Fire Department extinguished it.

On Sunday, at 6:51 p.m. a grass and corn stalk fire in a field was reported at 1546 Highway 92 near West Chester and Wellman Fire Department extinguished the flames. And, at 8:22 p.m. Wellman Fire Department was called to a fire on Highway 22 west of the English River and were disregarded when it was learned that it was a controlled burn.

People are asked to call in controlled burns to local authorities prior to starting them. Monday Washington received six-tenths of an inch of rain.