(Photos: Marion County Fire Rescue)
A routine burn pile turned into a rubber-burning spectacle on Monday, December 2, when flames escaped their intended target and ignited a 100-by-30-foot pile of tires, sending thick black smoke billowing skyward and setting trees ablaze.
Marion County Fire Rescue (MCFR) crews sprang into action at 2:06 p.m. after multiple 911 calls painted a vivid picture of “flames shooting 50 feet in the air.” Sparr Engine Company #19 reported the towering plume of smoke was visible from miles away.
By the time firefighters arrived at 2:17 p.m., the blaze was a roaring inferno fueled by a mountain of tires. With a situation too hot to handle solo, reinforcements rolled in from Orange Lake, Lowell, and Shady stations. State Forestry brought in a plow to help dig into the problem, and tanker trucks provided the liquid courage needed to douse the flames.
After nearly 30 minutes of tireless work (pun intended), crews brought the fire under control by 2:45 p.m.
The culprit? A permitted burn pile that went rogue. No injuries were reported, but local officials have issued a gentle reminder to double-check your burn pile boundaries—or risk becoming the talk of the town for all the wrong reasons.
