Perilous Times and Climate Change
Firefighters across Southern Indiana battling two large raging wildfires
by Mike Colombo
WHAS11.com
LOUISVILLE, KY (WHAS11) – Mix in the wind and hilly terrain and
firefighters really have their hands full.
In Floyd County, crews are cutting a wider fire break with brush trucks
and continue to clear up hot spots. Fire officials tell us the fire
has been contained within the fire breaks. Earlier Saturday, as the
fire spread, residents weren’t sure they’d be able to stay in their
homes.
From the sky, the fires look impossible to control, but on the ground
crews were busy digging fire breaks and getting water on what they
could to stop the wildfires from spreading.
From Highway 111 in Floyd County people took in a sight you’re more
likely to see out west. “It’s getting pretty close to some houses back
there. We’ve been down here twenty minutes and it’s definitely getting
a lot worse,” said New Albany resident Marty Schindler.
“They call it black snow. That’s what it looked like earlier,” said
Eunice Marie Cronin. One of those homes in the path of the Floyd
County fire belongs to Eunice Marie Cronin. “My neighbor says your
yards on fire; I go what?!” said Cronin.
While crews worked to control the blaze, the Cronin’s had few options
not knowing what path the fire would take. “They told us to be
prepared to leave. We’ve got all of our stuff in buckets and waiting
by the back door right now,” added Cronin.
Luckily for the Cronin’s, they didn’t have to leave home; but for
others living in Kentuckiana, until more rain falls the possibility for
more fires like this will still be a threat.
“It’s going to continue to be a problem until we get a lot of
moisture. The little bit of rain we’ve had is not enough and the
little bit of rain we’ve had today won’t be enough,” said Lafayette
Township Fire Department’s Ryan Houchen.
In all, the Cronin’s say they lost about two or three acres of their
property today.
Fire officials still don’t have a cause, but with the dry conditions,
we know the slightest spark can set off a fire like this.