Firefighters from Westmoreland and Lafayette, and state Forestry Department personnel worked feverishly Wednesday afternoon, March 7 to protect a number of residences and J.L. Hix mechanics garage from brush fires that raged for nearly five hours.

Brush in an area estimated at covering nearly 100 acres burned, driven by 10-15 mph easterly winds. The hills and hollows bordering Hwy. 141 (the Green Grove Road) just a quarter mile south of Hwy. 52-west were blackened by the fast moving brush fires, believed to have been started by a resident burning trash or brush without a permit.

The crime unit of the state Forestry Service investigated the origin of the fire, which did little or no real property damage but consumed many man-hours from the two fire departments, and the Forestry Service personnel operating a fire-plow and back fire operation, mounted to protect structures and dwellings threatened by the fires.

The investigators determined the person responsible for the fires was Howell Sullivan, 700 Wix Hollow Road, Westmoreland. Sullivan was apparently burning household trash. He was charged with "reckless burning," a class A misdeameanor, and with burning without a permit, a class C misdeameanor. Outdoor burning is prohibited in Tennessee from October 15 until May 15. Permits are granted on a county to county basis depending on the current burn conditions.

To obtain a fire permit in Macon County, call the State Department of Agriculture Forestry Division at 666-4111.

The efficient use of the Forestry Service fire plow, operated by Bobby Linville, and followed on foot by Lanny Newberry who set back-fires with a propane torch, is credited with protecting several residences and the Hix Garage from the wild fire. The fire did briefly "jump the road" to the east side of Hwy. 141, but it's progress was arrested before it could spread more widely.

Lafayette and Westmoreland firefighters refilled tanker trucks at the nearby Westside Elementary School fire hydrant. West Macon Rescue Squad members were paged out to assist with traffic control, and Hwy. 141 was closed to all but local traffic to reduce the number of curiosity seekers who always seem to gravitate to wrecks and fires.

The Lafayette firefighters were called out at 2:20 p.m. to assist Westmoreland units already on the scene. Firefighters returned to the fire hall at about 7:20 p.m. Winds died down at nightfall, and the brush fires burned themselves out shortly after dark.

One Westmoreland firefighter was reportedly transported to Sumner Regional Medical Center for treatment of smoke inhalation and exhaustion.