MORAVIA - A quick-moving brush fire in the hills of Moravia injured three people and scorched about four acres of land Monday afternoon.

Moravia firefighters responded to a 12:17 p.m. call of a debris fire in the backyard of a home at 2550 Rockefeller Road that had spread to surrounding grass, leaves and twigs, Deputy Chief Kevin Genson said.

Homeowners Jonathan Wood, Sr. and Paula Wood along with a Locke firefighter sustained heat-related injuries from the blaze.

Jonathan Wood was treated at the scene.

Fire officials said both Paula Wood and the firefighter - whose name was not released - were transported by Four Town First Aid Squad to Auburn Memorial Hospital.

Jonathan said he had set some garbage on fire in his backyard when a gust of wind pushed the fire into surrounding vegetation.

He had tried to put it out himself, but the fire quickly spread up a hill behind the home.

Son Jonathan Wood Jr. and his girlfriend, Ashley Morris, were also at the scene.

Eight fire departments responded to the fire with a total of 45 people, Genson said. Moravia Fire Department was the first responder, and received help from Long Hill, Locke, Sempronius, Scipio, West Niles and Sennett through mutual aid.

Firefighters had difficulty extinguishing the fire because of the hilly and dry terrain, Genson said.

“Until we get some rain, people have to stop burning things,” he said.

Last week, the state Department of Environmental Conservation issued a “very high” level of fire danger throughout the immediate area as current weather conditions of higher than normal temperatures and low relative humidity has made dead grass and areas of light brush vulnerable to fire.

The DEC is advising residents to refrain from open burning until the area receives a plentiful amount of rain.

This is not the first brush fire to be reported in Cayuga County. In recent weeks, there have been about two dozen fires in the county, said Brian Dahl, director of the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office. That agency has issued a red-flag warning about open burning.

Dahl said grass fires are typical of this time of year, but the lack of April showers has exacerbated the problem.

Staff writer Alyssa Sunkin can be reached at 253-5311 ext. 239 or alyssa.sunkin@lee.net

How to safely burn debris

The state Department of Environmental Conservation as well as the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office are advising residents to refrain from open burning until weather conditions change and rain returns to the area. Below are tips on how to safely burn debris during the spring and summer:

• Check local laws and ordinances prior to any burning.

• Consider alternatives to burning such as composting and recycling.

• Do not burn on windy days or when wind is expected.

• Only woody material such as leaves, grass and light brush should be burned.

• Clear all flammable material for a distance of 10 to 15 feet around the material to be burned.

• Keep piles to be burned small adding material to be burned in small quantities as burning progresses.

• Start burning as early in the day as possible. Try to finish burning before noon if possible as the morning usually has the most favorable daylight weather conditions of high humidity and low winds. These conditions will aid in keeping the fire from escaping.

• Always have a garden hose, shovel, water bucket or other means of extinguishment on hand.

• Never leave a fire unattended. Even a small breeze could quickly cause the fire to spread.

• Always be sure the fire is completely extinguished before leaving.

- Courtesy of the Cayuga County Emergency Management Office