Fuel to the fires

Large, dry branches, combined with plenty of dead and dried-out shrubbery and strong winds were the perfect ingredients to feed a large fire that broke out last Thursday afternoon at the Tracy City Tree Dump. Photo / Per Peterson

There’s a reason it’s called a red flag warning.

Minutes after returning to Tracy from a rural fire call north of Revere, the Tracy Fire Department was called to another blaze shortly before 2 p.m. on Thursday — this one at Tracy’s City Tree Dump where a massive fire, fueled by 40-mph wind gusts and extremely dry brush and dead trees, broke out.

“We didn’t even have our trucks put away yet,” said Tracy firefighter Mike Erbes. “We just got back from Revere, and Walnut Grove was there, too.”

Firefighters and other emergency responders from Garvin, Walnut Grove, Garvin and Balaton joined Tracy to battle Thursday’s blaze from all different angles as the strong southwest winds blew, threatening to instigate the spread of the crackling flames.

See more in this week’s paper!