BALTIMORE (WMAR) — "The slightest spark with the high winds can cause that fire to just take off and that’s when we have to act fast," said Baltimore County fire specialist Nicholas Tyson.
From Woodstock to Cherry Hill, Baltimore City and County fire crews battled brush fires Sunday.
"There were some that covered 2 acres, some that covered an acre," said Tyson.
There were at least 5 in Baltimore county, an unusual amount of large brush fires... and with no injuries.
"Brush fires can be challenging because sometimes they’re in areas we have a hard time getting back to and sometimes they’re in areas where we have a hard time getting water," said Tyson.
Baltimore City crews saved a woman and her cat from a warehouse that got caught in a brush fire.
"Because of the high winds that we do have today, it spread to the interior and through the roof of the occupied warehouse," said Baltimore City Fire Department PIO Blair Adams.
The woman had minor injuries from tripping and was treated on scene.
They called on a 2nd alarm for additional units because of the magnitude and challenges with wind.
"Anytime you have high winds, wind can fan fairly quickly and that’s what it did in this case do we called on additional units for support," said Adams.
That was the second brush fire in Baltimore City Sunday.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning for most of the area Sunday, saying with gusts reaching up to 40 miles per hour and the low humidity, it creates critical fire weather conditions. All outdoor burning is discouraged because the fires can spread rapidly and uncontrollably.
"If you see a brush fire that has gotten out of control, don’t try to put it out yourself because it will spread so fast to the point where a garden hose isn’t going to do the trick," said Tyson.
He said instead, call the fire department immediately.
A Red Flag Warning is in effect for several Eastern Shore counties through Monday.
