Trash burning ends in mobile home fire in Millersburg

The dry and windy conditions were partly to blame for a fire that destroyed a mobile home in Millersburg.

On Friday afternoon, Millersburg fire Chief Larry Curtis confirmed with ABC 17 News that a mobile home fire in the 1700 block of County Road 230 initially started as a trash burn.

Jeff Jones said he was burning his trash because he wasn’t aware of the red flag warning to not burn.

“I’ve burned many times and you just don’t think it’s going to get out of control,” Jones said.

The winds fanned his trash pile fire and sent sparks onto his home, destroying all he had. Jones said he doesn’t regularly watch television or he would have thought differently.

“I should have watched the news. I should have thought about it more,” Jones said.

The fire spread to the home, but no one was inside and no one was hurt.

Personnel from four agencies responded to the fire, including Central Callaway Fire Protection District, North Callaway Fire Protection District and Boone County Fire Protection District.

Fire officials across Mid-Missouri are urging all residents even with experience to not burn.

“Try not to burn, it’s very easy for the wind to shift or a spark to fly across,” Curtis said.

“Tomorrow is not the day to burn your trash,” Assistant Chief Gale Blomenkamp said. “If you have a field of grass you want to burn tomorrow is not the day to do it.”

Blomenkamp also wants to remind you to be careful when throwing away cigarettes and if you’re pulling a trailer to make sure your chains aren’t dragging on the ground, throwing sparks on the highway.