Conway County Fire Department spokesman Tim Hill confirmed Thursday that crews have successfully contained a wildfire burning across nearly 60 acres of woods near Petit Jean Mountain. Hill said the fire began during a Saturday night thunderstorm when lightning struck a tree in a wooded area southeast of Petit Jean Mountain near Ada Valley. Honestly, lightning in this part of Arkansas is a wild card. You get a storm track rolling through, and you have to watch how the ground reacts. The operation to get this under control required a serious crew effort. It wasn’t just Conway County firefighters working alone. Personnel from the Petit Jean and Oppelo fire departments partnered with the Arkansas Department of Agriculture’s Forestry Division to manage the blazes. By Sunday night, crews had managed to cut a fire line and control about half the burn. That’s enough excitement for one weekend, but Hill says the battle keeps going. An additional 15 acres burned on Wednesday night due to high winds on the mountaintop. Hill noted that the elevated terrain caused embers to skip across fire lines, reigniting smaller pockets of vegetation. You look at the resources it takes to fight 59 acres of fire here in Conway County, and honestly, it looks like a massive deployment you’d see in a major metropolitan area. The topography makes containment a grind—you’re fighting gravity and wind, not just a straight burn. For those living in the area or planning to head up the mountain: stay vigilant. When fires pop up near residential zones or popular hiking spots, the risk to people and property goes up fast. If you spot smoke or signs of fire in the area, contact Conway County officials immediately so the local crews can get on it before it turns into something massive. View the source coverage
Source: NWA Democrat Gazette
