MCKINNON — Green River firefighters were busy responding to two brush fires yesterday. After arriving at one of the fires, they discovered it was a prescribed burn. Firefighters are reminding residents to report when they are conducting prescribed burns so they are not responding to those instead of other fires.

At approximately 3:15 p.m., Tuesday, April 19, the Green River Fire Department (GRFD) was dispatched to a brush fire on Highway 414 in the McKinnon area. Approximately 5 acres were burned with the cause of the fire unknown, according to a social media post from the GRFD. Green River was assisted by Castle Rock Ambulance, Bureau of Land Management Fire, Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1, Daggett County Fire, and Manila Fire. Those crews were on scene for a little over 5 hours.

GRFD was then dispatched to another reported wild fire in the area at round 7:30 p.m. Since crews were still on the scene of the first fire, Green River sent another crew and truck to the second reported fire at mile marker 25 on County Road 1 in the McKinnon area. While the truck and crews from GRFD were in route, Chief 1, Larry Erdmann, finished up at the earlier fire and headed to the second fire. Upon arrival, Erdmann discovered that this fire was someone performing a prescribed burn.

“With the continuing winds and lack of moisture our fire danger in the region is high. We are asking that people please refrain from outside burning and to report to your local agency if you are preforming a prescribed burn,” the post states.

Residents conducting prescribed burns can report them to the Sweetwater Combined Communications non-emergency numbers for Green River at 307-875-1400 and for Rock Springs at 307-362-6575.

“As always, we would like to thank all crews from the area that helped keep our communities safe as well as Sweetwater Combined Communications. SCC not only dispatched our crews, but were able to relay messages when crews were in low signal areas,” the department stated.