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Green County controlled burn turned wildfire requires dozen-plus agencies to extinguish

Green County's emergency management director said despite fierce flames that led to the evacuation of several homes, nobody was injured and no homes were damaged.
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Green County's emergency management director said despite fierce flames that led to the evacuation of several homes, nobody was injured and no homes were damaged.

Green County’s emergency management director said a controlled burn Tuesday fanned by high winds turned into a wildfire that required crews from more than a dozen agencies to put out. Bill Hargan said the fire was in the northwest part of the county and got near several homes.

“There was four or five houses that were threatened. The fire department did move the people out temporarily, til they cut it under control. Once they did that, of course, they let them to go back to their homes.”

Hargan said the property owner who started the controlled burn thought rain would arrive to put it out – and that he was following state Division of Forestry rules. He said multiple-agency emergencies require good organization and communication – and that they had that Tuesday evening.

“We had command structure, so that that's what helps, and everybody stands by that. And as long as you do that, you're in good shape that way, you've got accountability, who's going where, and what's going happen, and that's how it's supposed to work.”

Hargan said no homes were damaged, nobody was injured and the 23-acre blaze was extinguished by about 9 o-clock central time.

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John McGary is a Lexington native and Navy veteran with three decades of radio, television and newspaper experience.
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