Firefighters in Jefferson County battling second wildfire this week

Jefferson County, Arkansas – In close proximity to the scene of a fire on Ramick Road on Monday, flames broke out on Rayhan Road on Wednesday. Three days have passed since the last fire in Jefferson County.

Around 1 pm, fire departments arrived at Rayhan Road to create plow lines for the purpose of containing the wildfire. They left the area at 5 p.m. after declaring the fire to be under control, but they’ll be on constant patrol because there’s a chance it could flare up again over the next three to four days.

According to Arkansas Forester Joe Fox, the smoldering smoke near Rayhan Road gained wind at around midday, causing fire crews to order a voluntary evacuation.

Despite the burn restriction in Jefferson County, Fox believes that someone may have ignited the fires by burning their trash.

According to Fox, they haven’t started an investigation therefore they are currently unsure of the cause.

“It’s kind of a scary thought to think you may lose everything,” said Mary Coburn, who lives on Rayhan Road and decided not to evacuate.

In case she wanted to flee, Coburn claims she stocked her car with valuables on Monday. She unloaded on Tuesday, but when smoke filled her street on Wednesday, she began packing once more.

“I think I’m going to leave it loaded this time for a few days,” Coburn says.

Fox said that, since 2011, 2022 has seen the most fires in Arkansas, with 1,500 fires and 31,000 acres burned as of this writing.