Rekindle calls firefighters back to New Market WATCH THE VIDEO

The rekindling of a controlled burn Saturday led to a field/woods fire that burned across acres of property in New Market Sunday, and requiring all Highland County fire units to respond. 

Chief Jerry Powell of Hillsboro Fire and Rescue said that the fire, which rekindled at approximately 12:30 p.m. Sunday when the initial call came in, sparked again Sunday night, sending crews back to the scene.

"They had to go out there later Sunday evening when it rekindled again," Powell said. "The fire was in the woods, and it is my understanding that he had been burning the night before in a fire ring. The embers from that went on down into the woods. It's a dry, very old woods, and of course, with 40 mph winds, it just took off. We had units from every department in the county out with either grass units, manpower or tankers."

Simultaneously, departments in the county were also responding to runs in Buckskin Township in Ross County, in Lynchburg and in New Vienna. 

"They got it contained, but it burned on three properties," Powell said. "In the woods, they couldn't put it out completely. When it gets into old, rotten logs, it gets in the trees and it burns to the top like a chimney."

Powell said that with the dry conditions due to lack of rain, "My advise to people is 'Don't burn.' They need to wait until we get a significant rain, and it's probably going to take at least two soaking rains to do much good, it's so dry out. You combine that with wind, and that's a problem. The least little spark, and it just takes off."