A fire, fueled by wind, burned 45 acres of grass and marshland Wednesday morning in Bull Valley just outside of Woodstock, fire officials said.
The Woodstock Fire and Rescue District responded around 11:03 a.m. Wednesday to the 9000 block of Thompson Road in Bull Valley for a report of a field on fire.
The first fire crew arrived within five minutes and found approximately one acre of a field on fire. They began assessing wind direction and potential structural exposures, officials said.
“Due to a very strong southern wind, the fire grew exponentially and rapidly traveled north throughout a heavy marshland,” the Woodstock Fire and Rescue District said in a statement.
Additional fire crews responded to protect downwind exposures along Marshland Way and Thompson Road.
The area was a mostly inaccessible wet marshland and a perimeter was established along the roadways to keep the fire in check.
Approximately 45 acres of grass and marshland ultimately burned in the fire. The fire was declared under control at around 3 p.m., nearly four hours after the initial call.
The fire appears to be accidental in nature and no structures or vehicles were damaged in the blaze.
Officials said no evacuations were ordered and no fire personnel or civilians were injured during the incident.
“The Woodstock Fire/Rescue District wants to remind everyone to use extreme caution when disposing of smoking material or any other flammable substances around the exterior of your home or property. Also, do not conduct outside burns or light campfires on high wind (red flag) days, such as today,” fire officials said in the statement.