By: Lisa Johnson
On Friday, October 14, Clay City received a call requesting assistance from Stanton Fire Dept. Stanton needed extra manpower to combat a brush fire at 30 Brown Street. The fire had been set at the top of the hill in a wooded area and had begun to spread down the hill and was approaching nearby homes. There were reports of a female subject leaving the area of the fire.
A woman matching the description and was picked up by Stanton police. According to police reports, the woman admitted to the arresting officer that she had started the fire. Erica Grey, 36, of Stanton, was taken into custody and charged with willfully setting a fire on land not owned/controlled by self. More than half of an acre was consumed by the blaze and Stanton Fire had to return to the scene several times over the course of the day. Forestry was also called to the scene. Stanton Fire and Clay City were called back out to the scene the following day at 10:41 a.m. due to the fire rekindling. Using their brush truck, Stanton Fire was finally able to extinguish the blaze.
A red flag warning was issued for Powell County on Thursday, October 13th due to low humidity and high winds. The relative lack of rain and falling leaves have turned the woodlands around Powell County into tinderboxes. It is important to practice caution when burning outside. Be vigilant, a smoldering fire capable of rekindling hours later. Sometimes a thorough dowsing isn’t even enough to fully extinguish a fire. If the ashes are too hot to touch, then they are too hot to leave unattended.