Snow permits controlled burn

Two years ago a grass fire east of town almost ignited a 20 year old pile of sawdust and old, dry logs at Squirrel Tree Automotive.

The grass fire occurred on a Sunday and if Squirrel Tree Automotive owner Sterling Arnold had not been at his shop checking on his horses, he would not have been able to alert the fire department.

Because of the old sawdust, it took two weeks for the embers of the grass fire to go out.

Since then, Arnold has wanted to burn the pile of sawdust, and finally got a permit from the Department of Environmental Quality in March this year. But dry conditions during the summer and fall made the possibility of a fire too risky.

On Tuesday, Dec. 18, after several inches of snowfall, Arnold decided to light the pile.

“All it took was one match,” Arnold said. “The main fire burned for three or four hours and at 1 a.m. there were still coals burning and some hot spots.”