Burning permits cancelled

The Seymour Volunteer Fire Department (SVFD) has announced that all burning permits have been rescinded due to dangerous dry and windy conditions throughout the area. Officials with the SVFD and the Tennessee Department of Forestry have acted to cancel the permits after a legal fire started by a resident to burn brush and debris spread out of control and scorched an estimated ten acres. The fire, which started Saturday afternoon, March 27, was spread by high winds and accelerated by dry brush in the area of the Curtis Houser farm when it reached the top of a ridge line along McCamon Road near Newbert Springs Road. When the first fire crews arrived, the blaze had spread along the ridge line and began moving so quickly that a firefighter had to run to escape the flames. State forestry crews used a small bulldozer and plowed a fire line around the area while Seymour Volunteer Firefighters used hand tools and small hose lines to control the blaze. The decision to rescind all burning permits and place into effect a complete fire ban came on the heels of the blaze, which fortunately did not endanger any homes.