WOOD RIVER - Wood River Fire Chief Wade Stahlhut reported a series of incidents sparked by arcing power lines that ignited brush fires along Tyler Timmins Drive, behind the KIA dealership, on the afternoon of Friday, March 14, 2025. The brush fire, which took approximately 30 minutes to contain, was part of a larger pattern of emergency calls linked to strong winds that preceded a storm in the area.
Stahlhut noted that the fire department responded to multiple incidents on Friday related to the high winds and the arcing of transformers.
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"Most of it was power lines arcing and transformers, things of that nature," he said. The winds also caused fencing along Highway 143, near the BP property, to collapse, leading to additional hazards along the roadway.
The fire chief indicated that the department had to prioritize calls due to the volume of incidents that occurred almost simultaneously.
"We actually had a large number of incidents due to strong consistent winds with heavier wind gusts," Stahlhut explained. "Quite a few calls came in before the actual storms later in the evening, and we ran more during or after."
While the brush fire and related incidents caused damage, Stahlhut expressed relief that more significant damage to commercial and residential properties was avoided.
"We were fortunate that they didn’t get the stronger stuff that did hit north and south," he added.
