Dry conditions coupled with what fire officials call “an ill-advised campfire” led to a wildland fire at the Sand Banks that kept firefighters busy for more than five hours. At 7:04 p.m. June 24, Canton Fire and Rescue was dispatched to the Sand Banks on outer Park Street for a reported fire in the woods.
Engine 8, Tanker 20, Rescue 36 along with UTV 4 arrived on the scene within 10 minutes. Captain Tim Gavin arrived shortly ahead of the responding units and relayed that there was a fire of significant size in the woods and it appeared to be spreading quickly, according to Canton Fire and Rescue.
UTV 4 and its brush fire unit were placed into service along with numerous personnel with brush packs and hand tools. Two portable pumps were transported back into the fire location to draft water from the river and supply hose lines stretched through the woods, fire officials said.