Holly Twp.’Firefighters from both Brandon Fire Department and Groveland Township Fire Department were among about 100 firefighters that responded to an April 18 Holly Township brush fire that consumed more than 300 acres.
‘We were the second department called in to the fire,? said Steve McGee,Groveland Township Fire Chief.
‘The only way to fight these fires is strap on a tank and head in. Terrain was the biggest concern, the swamps were muddy’they had to walk on the edges of the bog.?
About 13 firefighters from Groveland and seven from Brandon battled the blaze until about 11 p.m. Sunday night.
Joining the North Oakland County Fire Authority in the battle were Fenton, Fenton Township, Grand Blanc, Springfield Township, Highland Township and White Lake.
Although the cause of the fire remains under investigation according to McGee, hot, dry and windy weather coupled with hot grease and oil splattered from a passing train may have started the fire.
‘The smoke was so bad from the fire that passing trains slowed to a crawl when they approached the fire area.?
Firefighters packed in five gallons of water at a time on their backs to battle the fire. Several homes were evacuated during the fire.
‘This has been a rather dry spring’a prime time for fires like this one.?