Local firefighters battled a grass and woods fire on Progress Drive over the weekend.
The Madisonville Fire Department reports that fire and rescue crews responded to an area behind GMS Mine Repair and Maintenance on Progress Drive around 12:15 Sunday afternoon after a Madisonville Municipal Utilities worker reported that the woods were on fire, affecting at least an acre.
Upon arrival, officials said it was determined the initial fire began near a water tower on a street adjacent to Progress Drive. After firefighters extinguished the initial blaze, they determined the fire had spread further into the wood line, but they were able to bring it under control.
Fire officials explained that, after speaking with the utility company, it was determined the fire’s cause was linked to someone hooking chains to a vehicle and attempting to pull electrical lines out of the ground. They said this led to the electrical lines being dragged to the ground, igniting the grass near the water tower, causing the fire to spread.
According to fire officials, Madisonville Police were called to the scene to investigate.
