Monticello Live

The Monticello Fire Dept. and Drew County Sheriff’s Dept. responded to the report of a house fire on Bowser Road.

No one was home a the time of the call.

The fire was believed to be contained to the kitchen, however smoke and water damage effected other areas of the residence.

Yesterday’s Lacey and Possum Valley area woods fire destroyed 1,422 acres, according to AFC.

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Firefighters have been battling a 100-200 acre wildfire south of Lacey for several hours, this afternoon.

It is believed to have stared around Ponderosa Trail, and has since reached  Wilmar Tram Road, and other nearby access roads.

The Forestry Commission has 5 plows and 2 planes, battling the fire, working to control it.

Photos courtesy of MLive readers

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Tuesday afternoon, around 1 pm, the Monticello Fire Dept. was called to the scene of a house fire in the 200 block of West College Street.

MPD & DCSO blocked traffic on the busy street, while firefighters limited the damage from the flames to a dining room / hutch area.  However, smoke caused damage throughout the residence.

No one was home when the fire began.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission battled a 179 acre woods fire, just south of Drew County, on Berea road in Ashley County.

AFC brought in 6 dozers and a spotter plane to battle the blaze, with the help of 3 local fire depts.

The dozer photo is courtesy of AshleyCountyLedger.com.

The smoke photo is from a MLive reader who saw several fire and emergency vehicles turning onto Goose Hollow Road, from HWY 425 South.

The fire at this mobile home, located on Vincent Lane, of off HWY 425 North, was reported to the Monticello Fire Dept. around 8:20, Saturday morning.

Firefighters and trucks responded, but the residence was a total loss.

The Arkansas Forestry Commissin has confirmed the total acrage destroyed by Monday’s 3 forest fires as….
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Around 1 am, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the report of a house fire in the 300 block of East Pope St, where smoke and flames had been reported in a residence.

It is believed that smoke woke someone in the house, who escaped safely.

From a distance, the home appears to be a total loss.

Monday, MLive reported that the Monticello Fire Dept. was called out to the report of a mobile home, fully engulfed in flames, Sunday morning around 3 am.The structure was a total loss, and no one was injured.

Drew County Sheriff’s Deputies were also dispatched to the fire at 163 Harris Road, near Lake Monticello. According to the 911 caller, no one appeared to be home. 

The cause of the fire is being investigated at this time. Anyone with information about this investigation is strongly urged to contact the Sheriff’s Department at 367-6211

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Just before midnight, Saturday night, Monticello Police Dispatch received a phone call reporting that two local teenagers were trapped inside of an empty railroad chip car.

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Thursday Morning, just before 10 am, the Monticello Fire Dept. was called to extinguish a fire on Commercial Drive, off of Airport Road.

At the former Southeast Trust factory, a cutting torch had reportedly been used to disassemble some equipment for scrap metal.  After the workers had left the area, the sawdust under the machine smoldered, and eventually caught fire.

It seems no damage was done, since the machine were already scrap.

Around 4:30, Friday, a 4th woods fire was reported in southern Drew County, this one on HWY 172.

The Arkansas Forestry Commission responded with 2 fire plows.  Local fire depts. responding included Lacey-Ladelle, Greenhill, and Valley.  The fire was contained within a couple of hours, and damage was limited to approximately 3-4 acres.

Lightning caused a fire on HWY 133, Sunday.  There were two fires near Lacey-New Hope Road, Thursday, one burning 75 acres.  The cause of Friday’s fire is unknow, but Sheriff Mark Gober commented, “this one wasn’t started by lightning.”

Our appreciation goes out to all of the firefighters who go out into the heat and smoke, to protect the property and lives of the residents of Drew County.

Thank You.

A burn ban has been issued by Drew County Judge Damom Lampkin, covering all of Drew County.

The recent hot and dry spell has greatly increased the probablity of fires getting out of control.

Around 6 pm, following a good thunderstorm in the area, a woods fire was reported near HWY 133, south of Lacey.

Lacey-Ladelle and Valley Fire Depts. responded with trucks and firefighters, and extinguished the blaze, estimated to be around one acre, which is believed to have started by a lightning strike to a White Oak.

According to Mayor Allen Maxwell, he received a letter, Monday, confirming the city’s effort to acheive a better ISO rating has been a success.

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An East Shelton St residence was destroyed by fire, just before 7 pm, Sunday eventing.

The fire is believed to have started from a charcoal b-b-q- grill on the front porch.

The family was home at the time of the fire, and sources tole MLive that the man heard something “banging around” on the porch.  When he opened the door, the fire was blazing, across the porch, and right at the front door.

MFD and MPD responded. but the blaze had already entered the bottom of the trailer structure.

Around 8:15, this morning, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the report of a fire on the yard of the recycling center, on East Jackson Street, at the old Burlington mill.

The blaze seems to have been limited to a storage area on the old parking lot.

The Barkada Community Volunteer Fire Dept. hosted an ice cream social, Saturday, along with desserts, and tours of the fire station.

An update on the status of the Barkada Fire Dept. was appreciated by the approximately 40 in attendance, and board members and guests were introduced.

A few political comments closed out the evening, which seemed to be enjoyed by all.

The local veteran’s organizations, as part of their annual Memorial Day program, recognized 4 local first responders for the service to Monticello and Drew County.

Officer of the Year awards were presented to Billy Barnett of the Monticello Fire Dept.,  Matt Outlaw of the Arkansas State Police, and Danny Chisom of the Monticello Police Dept.  Ben Michel of the Drew County Sheriff’s office was also honored, Ben’s plaque was accepted by Chief Deputy Robin Hood.

Friday afternoon around 5 o’clock the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to Turtle Creek Apartments on N. Slemmons St. to the report  of an apt. fire on the bottom level.

The blaze seems to have been started by something on the stove, and fire damage was confimed to the kitchen area.

A 28-year-old Dermott resident has been arrested for the arson fire at Dermott’s Fred’s discount store.  Twelve area fire departments battled the blaze for two days last weekend during the annual Dermott Crawfish Festival.

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The City Council voted unanimously to allow Mayor Allen Maxwell to begin advertising for bids for the fire station to be built at the W.C. Whaley lot.

The Council also voted to combine CD’s and budgeted items that have not, or will not be used this year, in order to fund the deficit in the Sadie Johnson Building Fund.

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The Monticello Fire Department held a training exercise for extinguishing LP gas fires at the Drew County Fairgrounds, Saturday.

Southern LP Gas Company donated 400 gallons of gas to be burned in the exercise.

At least 5 area fire departments took part in the training session, which practiced extinguishing propane fires on tanks and piping fixtures.

A 59 year old Winchester man died around noon, Thursday, during a house fire at his residence on Old Highway 65.

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In a shocking turn of events, the City Council voted yes to building a new fire station on the W.C. Whaley lot. During Thursday night’s meeting Mayor Allen Maxwell asked MEDC Executive Director Nita McDaniel to present the slide show to the Council that was shown to the public during the ISO Rating Meeting (posted below).

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Around 12:30 Sunday afternoon, the Monticello Fire Dept. responded to the report to a mobile home fire in the Koala Bear Trailer Park on Scott Street.

The resident of the trailer, Eric Burton Bell, attempted to get close to or enter the burning structure while firefighters were still battling the blaze and was arrested by MPD.  Bell was charged with Disorderly Conduct, Obstructing Governmental Operations, Possession of Controlled Substance, and Resisting Arrest.

The cause of the fire was undetermined, but it appears that most of the damage was done in the living room / kitchen area of the trailer.

Another local resident was arrested after she set her own trailer on fire, and assaulted a family member, earlier this month.

A Monticello woman was arrested Friday, around noon, after MPD responded to a call reporting that she had attacked a local beautician.  The woman was charged with battery, and bonded out of jail, upon being taken to the County Detention Facility.

But that wasn’t the only time she was arrested, that day.

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Monticello Fire Dept., along with 3 other fires, Sunday, were called to the site of a fire at Curry’s Pest Control, on N. Hyatt Street.

The building, along with the 3 pick-up trucks inside received major damage.  One of the truck was backed out of the building, after the fire was brought under control.

A strong chemical smell could be detected for several hundred yards away from the burning structure.

A possible cause of the fire, currently being considered, is a nearby brush/leaf fire.

Top photo courtesy of Robert Crawford.

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A 74 year old Monticello man lost his life Monday morning, during a house fire at his home on HWY 425 North.

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