Local fire departments were busy Monday afternoon handling two separate calls.

At about 3:15 p.m., the Prairie du Rocher and Maeystown fire departments responded to an out-of-control prescribed burn conducted by the Illinois Department of Natural Resources at the Kidd Lake Marsh near Fults. The area of Bluff Road at Kidd Lake Road was closed to traffic into Monday evening due to the firefighting efforts. IDNR was conducting a prescribed burn at the marsh, but strong winds apparently caused the fire to spread to the bluffs.

“This thing had traveled to the upside of the bluffs and it happened to be the deepest side of the bluffs. And with the high winds and dry weather my guys were trying to get on top of it and they couldn’t for a while,” Maeystown Fire Chief Lynden Prange. “There were also several IDNR guys out there so we had some help.”

Firefighters remained on scene until shortly after 6 p.m., but were dispatched to the area again a short time later due to rekindling just before heavy rains arrived. The downpour allowed firefighters to turn back without having to put out any embers. Prange estimated that about 3-4 acres were damaged by the fire.

At 4 p.m., the Valmeyer Fire Department was paged out for a report of the bluffs on fire in the area of 7356 D Road north of Valmeyer.