Though it is a highly uncommon occurrence, a dragging muffler on a vehicle cast sparks that ignited three small brush fires in Hampton on Wednesday.
“This is very rare, like a cigarette butt tossed out a window starting a fire, but people should be aware that it is very dry out and these things can still cause brush fires,” said Donnie Isaacs, a firefighter with the Hampton Volunteer Fire Department.
A vehicle driving along Simerly Creek Road with a dragging muffler started the three separate fires. Passersby in the area spotted the fires and immediately went to work putting out the flames as they called 911, Isaacs said.
When Isaacs arrived on scene to assist the civilians he subsequently called off firefighters from the Roan Mountain and Stoney Creek Volunteer Fire Departments, who were en route to assist. Between the efforts of the civilians and Isaacs the fires were extinguished in less than 15 minutes.
“If they hadn’t responded so quickly, it could have gone up the bank and been bad,” said Isaacs.