BRANDON — The cause of a fire that consumed 100 acres of a cornfield on Sunday remains under investigation by the Homer Fire Department, according to Fire Chief Randy King.
The fire spread across 75 acres of field along Lohr Road, south of Brandon. The field, which was partially harvested, is owned by Gary Rowe.
The Homer Fire Department was on the scene at 2 p.m. and quickly called for mutual aid. Utica, Centerburg, Fredericktown, Mount Vernon, Hartford and Bladensburg, Newton Township and Marianne Township provided mutual aid with water tankers, grass trucks, fire engines and firefighters. King said they had plenty of water by drawing it from a pond on the Rowe property.
The wind fanned the fire that jumped a roadway into 25 acres of standing corn on the Rick Shoemaker farm. The fire released big clouds of white smoke that drifted on the wind east from the fire and was visible for several miles.
Lohr is a short road between Granville and Weaver roads. Firefighters gathered their equipment on Weaver Road and were able to stop the fire before it could jump the road into another cornfield.
Two old barns at the east edge of the cornfield on the Shoemaker property were threatened as fire did start in one barn. Firefighters quickly doused the fire and sprayed both barns with water to guard against the flames.
The Homer Fire Department stayed at the scene on Weaver Road where two rotted trees caught fire. King said there was concern because the trees were close to Licking Rural Electric power lines. The department left the scene at 8:52 p.m.
