The National Weather Service issued an elevated fire dangerous advisory Monday, March 16, 2015, after warm temperatures, strong winds and low humidity created an increased risk for brush fires.
Several fire departments responded to one on Knoxville Road in Milan around 4:00 p.m. Monday afternoon.
"The homeowner yesterday was burning some brush thought he had it out...evidently not," said Blackhawk Fire Department Assistant Chief Todd Fitzpatrick.
"My neighbor calls me and says, 'Do you have a controlled burn over there? And I says hell no,' and so then I came here and the flames were 30 feet high and I thought, 'Dear God, I gotta call somebody'," said homeowner Stan Miller.
He called the Blackhawk Fire Department who called for mutual aid.
"The wind picked up today. It started back up and then spread, it spread about an acre, got into the woods," said Fitzpatrick.
The wind, mixed with warm temperatures and low humidity created a dangerous combination for fires.
"Right now the grass is real dry on top and of course, it's real soggy underneath. We're really asking that you be really careful if you do have bonfires or anything like that, it can just spread like it happened here," said Fitzpatrick.
"I do it every year and I'm not as dumb every year. It was much dryer and this went to hell on me quick," said Miller.
Fitzpatrick suggests using a broomstick or pitchfork to stir up the embers to make sure the fire is out.