Firefighters caution against burning

Area firefighters continue to ask residents to refrain from open burning while dry conditions and strong winds prevail.

Fire crews on Tuesday dealt with grass and natural cover fires in two Mid-Missouri counties.

According to Regional West Fire Protection District reports, crews were fighting a combine fire in Moniteau County that did burn a small part of a field around 1:30 p.m. No injuries were reported.

While working that incident, a call was received of a fire on Boeckman Drive in Centertown where an individual had been burning trash and the fire had spread to a garage.

A mutual aid call was sent out to Cole County Fire Protection District and Russellville/Lohman Fire Protection District crews to assist.

There were concerns that with strong wind gusts, there might be the possibility of the fire spreading from the garage to the house since the two were attached.

Crews were able to put the fire out before it got to the home.

With the fire confined to the garage, damage was estimated at $20,000.

There were no vehicles inside the garage and no injuries were reported.

Forecasters believe that by the end of the week, Mid-Missouri will get some much needed rain, which should help reduce the fire danger that's existed for several weeks.