Grass fires claim two lives
Grass fires claim two lives
09 April 2014
published by http://wincountry.com
USA — Fire officials are warning homeowners to be careful if they plan to burn brush. Conditions are ripe for grassfires.
A grassfire is being blamed for the death of a 93-year-old Battle Creek man.
He was burning brush at his property at Minges and Sonoma Roads when a grass fire ignited the oil and gasoline in his lawn tractor Wednesday afternoon.
A neighbor heard an explosion, looked out and saw smoke and found the victim lying dead next to the tractor.
The fire also spread to a storage shed in a neighbors yard and had to be extinguished.
He was the second west Michigan man to die this week when a brush fire spread to his clothing. 70-year-old Roger Kludy of Hart suffered severe burns on Monday and subsequently died.
A grassfire in the 50-thousand block of County Road 653 near Paw Paw is being blamed for destroying three out-buildings and threatening a home Wednesday.
The early afternoon fire, fanned by windy conditions, burned a number of acres before firefighters were able to bring it under control.
The Michigan Department of Natural Resources has identified a number of areas in west Michigan as high risk for wild fires.
