Union County and New Albany fire fighters kept busy Tuesday

Relatively dry conditions and high winds kept at least four Union County volunteer fire departments busy Tuesday afternoon. The county volunteer departments put out fires in structures, brush and grass from one end of the county to the other.

The most destructive fire was fought just across the Lee County line by equipment and personnel from the East Union and Alpine Fire Departments.

Near Ray Ray’s store in the 200 block of Highway 348 a shop building containing numerous electrical machine tools, a nearby metal shed, an RV trailer and other property was either a total loss or badly damaged. The shop owner had been using a metal cutting saw. He left the project to go to his house, and the shop was ablaze when he returned.

East Union and Alpine backed up fire fighters from Lee County’s Cedar Hill and Guntown Fire Departments in extinguishing that major fire.

Weather forecasters warn of gusty conditions which may encourage fires. NWS graphic provided by NAFD

Four pieces of equipment and nine personnel from East Union were involved in fighting the fire on Highway 348.

When East Union left the Highway 348 location, they got a call about a brush fire near a home on County Road 194 in the Red Hill community.

East Union Fire Chief Tim Hatcher said no one was at the home, but the call was made by a passer-by. East Union responded with the brush truck that had been at the Highway 348 fire and extinguished the fire in a stand of trees on CR 194.

In that instance the homeowner had apparently been doing some intentional burning a few days earlier and the earlier fire, thought extinguished, was rekindled by the gusty winds Tuesday afternoon. There was no damage to structures.

At the other end of the county the West Union Fire Department fought a grass fire on County Road 302. West Union was assisted at the CR 302 fire by the Pinedale Fire Department.

Then late Tuesday afternoon the New Albany Fire Department was dispatched to the Factory Connection Store at 128 Chrystal Plaza Drive. A motorist had driven a vehicle into the front of the building causing damage to the structure. Reports were that no one – occupants of the vehicle, people in the store, or bystanders – was injured in the incident at Factory Connection.

Although Union County is not currently under a “burn ban,” grass and brush are dry and stiff winds are expected to continue at least through Wednesday, February 16.  The National Weather Service has issued a strong caution against any kind of outdoor burning anywhere in North Mississippi.

Fire at the Snyder Bridge quickly extinguished: https://newalbanyunionco.com/construction-fire-at-snyder-st-railroad-underpass-quickly-extinguished/