Swamp fire grows to 80 acres in Town of Burlington

BURLINGTON -- A swamp fire broke out in the Town of Burlington just off County Highway 142 near Wheatland Rd. around 1:00 Monday afternoon.

Fire officials say their initial call came in as a fire that was only 20 feet by 20 feet, but the first crews on the scene of the fire immediately called for mutual aid. Eventually, the fire grew as large as 80 acres. Between 15 and 20 fire units helped get the fire under control.

A half dozen homes were threatened by the swamp fire. They were temporarily evacuated.

The biggest challenge for firefighters was getting to the fire itself. Access to the swamp was limited and a few ATVs that were used to get that access got stuck in the process.

High winds and dry conditions were big factors that caused the fire to spread quickly.

The Town of Burlington issued a burn ban until further notice.

Kyle Timm and other Town of Burlington farmers told FOX6 News they're struggling with hot and dry conditions this summer.

"It's bad. I mean, it's real bad. The crop ain't growing -- nothing's growing," Timm said.

Timm called the fire department after spotting Monday's fire.

Firefighters hope with more dry days in the forecast, more fires like this are in the future.

Monitor FOX6 News and FOX6Now.com for updates on this developing story.