Strong winds fuel fires in Weston as Red Flag Warning issued
WESTON - Two fires burned in Weston Friday afternoon, garnering a massive firefighter response.
One burned through a dry wooded area along Winter Street and the other started at a home and moved to nearby brush along North Avenue. Both started just a few hours after the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for much of our area.
"The entire place was engulfed in smoke," said Weston resident Todd Krueger, but the fire didn't stop there. Strong winds caused flames to jump a nearby roadway, setting fire to woods along North Avenue.
"You have a years' worth of dead stuff in there that just torched," said Krueger, who watched as the fire burned towards his home. "I live about 200 yards east of here. The wind shifts every couple seconds, so the firefighters will spray in one direction and the next second they have to go somewhere else."
The Weston Fire Department and surrounding agencies worked quickly to control the fire, facing challenging conditions.
"A big role. Anytime it's windy it's one of our biggest enemies. It's gasoline on a fire but it's the wind," said Weston Fire Chief Justin Woodside.
Investigators are still working to figure out what caused both Weston fires.
"This house fire happened on the one day of a year we have a Red Flag Warning that's a pretty freakish occurrence. I feel terrible for the family I'm glad that their safe and they got out," says Krueger.
Chief Woodside said there is no outside burning allowed.