Brush fire cause still unknown

FRONT ROYAL -- A brush fire spread over 3 acres on Wednesday afternoon on Imboden Drive off Happy Creek Road.

Warren County Fire and Rescue units were sent to the scene at 3:15 p.m. according to Chief Richard E. Mabie. Brush trucks and a tractor were among the equipment dispatched.
They had the fire controlled by 4 p.m., he said.

A few homes were in close proximity to the fire, but not in immediate danger because the wind was blowing in the opposite direction, Mabie said.

At 4:30 p.m., Mabie guessed that the department would remain on the scene for at least another 45 minutes to ensure a full cleanup.

The Virginia Division of Forestry was also on the scene, Mabie said. He explained that the tractor would put a line around the area the fire damaged so that if the burned section rekindles, it will be more easily maintained.

"We're not even a week into brush-fire season," he said of his concerns with the fire, adding that there have already been a significant number of blazes in the past few days.

The fire was not a controlled burn, Mabie said, and the cause is still under investigation.