Clutier and Dysart Fire Departments respond to a grass fire along East Branch Salt Creek in Oneida Township east of Clutier between V and W Avenues on Saturday, March 22. The fire – viewed from W Avenue just after 6 p.m. – started as a controlled burn on CRP grass but became more than the landowners could handle when the winds suddenly increased. PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

CLUTIER – A controlled burn became a bit more than some area farmers could manage last Saturday (March 22) evening when the winds unexpectedly increased, leading to both the Clutier and Dysart Fire Departments stepping in to assist.

“Saturday was a decent day to burn actually, it was just the wind came up there and everything is so dry,” Dysart Fire Chief Tim Brown told the newspaper Monday morning following the fire. “It was easy to contain once we got there.”

While the call was Clutier’s, Dysart provided mutual aid, Brown said, with both departments receiving the page just before 5:30 p.m.

“I would say it was probably controlled within 20 minutes of us getting there,” he continued. “They were trying to burn CRP [Conservation Reserve Program grass] along the creek line. It was dry enough and there was just enough of a breeze (that) it became too much to handle and they called for help.”

The fire was located east of Clutier in Oneida Township just south of 240th Street between V and W Avenues. Farmers were attempting the controlled burn along the meandering East Branch Salt Creek.

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

“[The fire] went a little bit into the field but it was mainly along the creek line,” Brown said. “I would say it was less than 10 to 15 acres that burned.”

The temperature around the time of the fire was hovering near 50 degrees with 40% humidity and winds sustained at 13 mph from the southeast. According to the United States Dept. of Agriculture (USDA), when conducting controlled burns, the ’60:40 rule’ should be considered.

“The 60:40 rule refers to restricting burn conditions to air temperatures less than 60 degrees Fahrenheit and relative humidity (Rh) greater than 40% with [wind speeds] of 5-15 mph,” per the USDA.

While there were no injuries sustained by firefighters on the ground during the fire – nor damage to structure – a member of Clutier’s Fire Department was injured when a firetruck rolled into the deep ditch at the corner of Hwy E-36 and V Avenue while en route from Clutier.

“He had some scratches and bruises,” Brown said. “He went to the hospital to get stitches but nothing critical.”

PHOTO BY RUBY F. MCALLISTER

Thankfully, the fire on Saturday proved relatively uncomplicated – nothing like the large grass fire Dysart along with six other area fire departments helped the Garrison Fire Department fight in Benton County back on Feb. 28.

Everything is just bone dry,” Brown said. “But none of the fires [we responded to this weekend] were anything like [Feb. 28].”

As of press time, almost the entirety of Tama County was experiencing D1-Moderate Drought conditions, the least intense drought conditions but drought nonetheless, according to the latest data from the U.S. Drought Monitor.

Editor’s Note: The newspaper reached out to Clutier Fire Chief Justin Hosek for this story but did not hear back in time for publication.