Lang
3/22/25
The recent stretch of dry weather led to multiple field fires in and around Johnson County on Saturday.
The first such fire was reported just after 3:00 Saturday afternoon near the intersection of Highway 22 and Wapello Avenue between Lone Tree and Nichols. Firefighters from Lone Tree, Hills and Nichols were all called to the scene, including a request for a tanker and brush truck which was later cancelled.
The Wellman and North Keokuk fire departments were called to another fire on the 3000 Block of U Avenue just before 4:00.
A few minutes later, Solon firefighters joined departments from Lisbon and Mount Vernon for a field fire on the 5600 Block of 145th Street, south of Sutliff.
About 25 minutes after the Sutliff fire was reported, another vegetation fire broke out on the 5000 Block of Kansas Avenue near Sharon Center. That blaze was extinguished by firefighters from Riverside, Hills, and Lone Tree.
The Jefferson-Monroe Fire Department was called to a field fire on the 1600 Block of 140th Street, north of Monroe, just before 4:45 Saturday afternoon. They were joined by units from Solon, Fairfax and Amana.
Oxford firefighters were dispatched to a field fire near Black Hawk Avenue and 360th Street at about 5:30 p.m. Tiffin Fire also responded, and the Amana Fire Department contributed a brush truck and a tanker. Williamsburg fire was unable to assist because they were on their own fire call in Iowa County.
Burn bans were still in effect as of Sunday morning for Muscatine and Linn Counties, although all local fire departments recommend against conducting prescribed burns until further notice.