Brush fire in south Chicago suburbs propelled by strong winds, dry conditions
TINLEY PARK, Ill. (CBS) -- A large brush fire broke out in the south suburbs amid strong winds Monday night.
Investigators said the fire Monday night was started by a person, but it was not clear if the fire was intentional or an accident.
Many who live near the forest preserve were frustrated upon seeing the fire. Marcus Terrell posted video of the fire to Facebook and said: "Somebody has lost their mind and trying to do some stupid stuff. This is real dangerous people."
A total of 15 fire departments responded to the brush fire in Bobolink Meadow near 183rd Street and Central Avenue, part of the Forest Preserves of Cook County's Orland Grasslands complex.
Dry conditions and strong winds fueled the fire burning more than 34 acres south of the Bobolink Family Picnic Area.
Cook County Forest Preserves Director of Resource Management John McCabe said such fires are not something typically seen in January.
"The fact that we don't have several inches of snow to a foot or two on the ground right now has led to these situations where you get this — weather turns, sun comes out, it warms up a little bit, and you know, fire could burn," McCabe said.
The fire chief in Tinley Park said the wind helped contribute to the spread of the fire and made it more of a challenge to put out. McCabe said the brush fire not only did it put firefighters at risk, but also those driving nearby.
"We had smoke that went across [Interstate] 57 that caused traffic to stop, and it was a very unsafe situation," McCabe said. "It could have resulted in a serious accident."
High winds were a factor Monday, and with dry land, the fire risk remained elevated Tuesday evening.
"Until we get some precipitation, which they're not calling for until Thursday night into Friday, these conditions will persist," McCabe said.
For that reason, the Cook County Forest Preserve District asked everyone to do their part to make sure such a fire doesn't happen again.
"We want people to be thinking about what you're doing with anything that could be a potential ignition source around these fuels, and you just cannot be careless," McCabe said.
The brush fire in Tinley Park had been out for some time by Tuesday evening, but it took firefighters two hours to extinguish the blaze the night before.