Quincy fire starts due to metal cutting

Burns nearly five acres

QUINCY - Fires, from sparks from people cutting metal, are becoming a pattern in the Quincy area over the past two months.

A sixth fire on Sunday, near the intersection of state Route 28 and Road G Northwest, was caused by people cutting and grinding metal near dry fields, said Grant County Fire District No. 3 Chief Don Fortier.

The wildland fire burned approximately five acres of grass and sagebrush on property belonging to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, he said.

Metal prices are increasing so people are beginning to clean and prepare scrap metal for recycling purposes, Fortier said. The people who are cutting the metal are usually surprised when a fire starts.

"It's pretty obvious to us that it will start a fire," he said. "It throws a shower of sparks and that's where the fires are starting."

Fortier said people need to be more careful about where they cut metal or work on farm equipment. He suggested wetting the ground where sparks could fall and moving the project to a green field rather than a dry area.

No structures were threatened and no injuries were reported.

Grant County Fire District No. 13 responded to the incident to assist.

The majority of the fire was extinguished within 20 minutes. The departments stayed at the scene for approximately three hours wetting the ground and cleaning the site, Fortier said.