Eight acres of a harvested soybean field were damaged by a rapidly spreading fire on a farm near Harvard that took nearly an hour to extinguish Sunday afternoon, fire officials said.
The Harvard Fire Protection District responded around 12:39 p.m. Sunday to the area of Boone-McHenry County Line Road and Yates Road in unincorporated Harvard for a report of a brush fire on a farm property.
Harvard Fire Protection District Public Information Officer Alex Vucha said responding firefighters were advised that the fire was spreading quickly across a field.
Fire crews could see the smoke in the distance and the call was upgraded for additional resources from the Marengo and Boone County fire protection districts.
Firefighters arrived and located the fire in the 13500 block of County Line Road on the east side of the roadway.
They found moderate fire conditions moving rapidly across a harvested soybean field.
Strong southerly winds pushed the flames through dry crop residue, creating fast-moving fire behavior, Vucha said.
Crews deployed all-terrain vehicles and pickup trucks equipped with water tanks into the field.
Vucha said local farmers using tractors and field equipment also assisted and the fire was contained within approximately 45 minutes.
Eight acres burned in total. No injuries or property damage were reported.
“The Harvard Fire Protection District extends its thanks to the McHenry County Sheriff’s Office for assisting with traffic control during the incident and to our dispatchers for their coordination and support,” Vucha said.
The fire district also said they remind residents that while fall is a common season for open burning in rural areas, conditions can change rapidly with low humidity and gusty winds.
“Always check the daily weather and follow local burn regulations before burning, and never leave a fire unattended,” Vucha said.