Crime & Safety

Brush Fire Misses Home By Eight Feet

NKFD responded to a brush fire beside Route 1 Thursday evening.

Heavy winds helped fuel a brush fire beside Route 1 in North Kingstown this evening.

Crews from the North Kingstown Fire Department responded to the area along Route 1 between SSTAR and Gilbert Stuart Road, containing the fire within 20 minutes. According to Deputy Fire Chief Scott Kettelle, the fired destroyed one to two acres of forest and nearly reached a nearby home.

"The fire burned up to about eight feet from the back of the house," said Kettelle. "That was our biggest concern."

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At 6 p.m. a passing motorist reported the brush fire, which was approximately 100 to 150 feet from the road's edge. According to Kettelle, the fire started alongside the highway in a trench but was brought up into the woods by today's strong winds.

Crews had blocked off the right lane on Route 1 northbound to battle the fire. At this time the cause of the fire is unknown. No was was injured in the fire.

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This time of year is right in the middle of brush fire season, said Kettelle, and the North Kingstown Fire Department has responded to a number of them already. For fires like today's brush fire in the southern part of town, where there are no water lines, water tankers are needed in lieu of hydrants.

"It's concerning, but you have to address it," said Kettelle.


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