CONWAY COUNTY, Ark. — The sustained dry weather has made wildfire danger worse across the state of Arkansas— first responders in Conway County are currently monitoring a contained wildfire.
An area of former swampland in Conway County near the Blackwell community has been on fire for five days.
The plume of smoke from the blaze can be seen from Interstate 40 near Morrilton.
Blackwell-Kenwood Fire Department Chief Brandon Baker said that while the area is contained, there are still small fires burning.
This incident is a good example of how severe drought conditions are in certain areas in Arkansas.
"We are ready for the fire to go out," Baker said.
He believed the fire started after lightning struck during a thunderstorm.
On Monday, a nearby property owner spotted the smoke and called the fire department.
"We discovered three or four fires in a very small area," Baker explained.
The swamp fills a 100-acre plot, and Baker said that it used to have five to six feet of water in it.
"Since the drought, we've had minimal rainfall, [and] it had dried out," Baker said.
Dead, dried-out trees in the surrounding area have added fuel to the fire, and Baker estimates that up to 60 acres have burned.
Fortunately, no one was hurt by the fire, and no houses or businesses are in harm's way.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission sent help to minimize the damage.
"They have bulldozers, they were able to put fire lines around the fire to keep it from spreading," Baker said.
Windy weather on Tuesday caused the fire to spread, but crews were able to extinguish it.
On Thursday, however, it happened again.
"The wind picked up from the south and, as we received no rain, it spread even further," Baker told us.
As you can imagine, the volunteer fire station exhausted a lot of effort in order to put this fire out.
More than 11 fire departments in Conway County, as well as departments from neighboring counties, have been helping keep the situation under control.
"We get some rest, more folks will come in and then we'll go back out there and just alternate back and forth," Baker said.
With the majority of the state under a burn ban, he can't stress the importance of abiding by the rule enough.
"Don't give us a reason to come to your house for burning that's not necessary," Baker said.
The Arkansas Forestry Commission said there have been 166 wildfires this month alone.
They advised Arkansans to take extra precautions with lawn mowers or hay equipment and recommended avoiding driving on tall grass since exhaust can spark a fire.