Brush Fires: It's That Time of Year

A brush fire near the border of Baltimore and Anne Arundel County is serving as a reminder that this is the time of year for such events. 

Anne Arundel County firefighters assisted in putting out a brush fire near an asphalt plant near Brooklyn Park and Curtis Bay Sunday and were on scene for nearly three hours.

Division Chief Keith Swindle of the Anne Arundel County Fire Department said that so far, brush fires have been minimal this season due to heavy rains. But he said this is the time of year when fires can spread quickly due to a combination of winds and dry ground.

The threat was so great last year that the county temporarily suspended the issuing of licenses for open fires. 

In February of 2011, a major brush fire struck a wooded area of Odenton. Firefighters from all over Maryland were on scene for days as wind-aided flames spread over several hundred acres and burned some structures.

That same weekend saw hundreds of calls for smaller fires ranging from Edgewater to Pasadena. 

Firefighters also responded that February to a brush fire along Route 100, and last March responded to a brush fire in a wooded area near Route 32. 

Last April in Glen Burnie, more than 40 firefighters fought a two-alarm blaze in a wooded area. And in Pasadena in April, a brush fire forced the evacuation of more than a dozen homes. 

Brush fires have not been limited to late winter and early spring, either. In June of last year, residents of Anne Arundel County smelled and saw smoke throughout the area due to a large fire in Queen Anne's County.