Crews battle fire, heat in rural Scott County

SIKESTON — Fire crews battled a field and tractor fire along with triple-digit temperatures Monday in Scott County.

At 11:45 a.m. Monday, crews with Miner Police Department, Sikeston Department of Public Safety and Scott County Rural Fire responded to a field and tractor fire in a salvage yard behind Double D Supply Co.,1078 US Highway 62, which is located just outside of Miner city limits, according to Miner Police Chief Chris Griggs. The exact cause of the fire was unknown, but the the black, thick smoke rising and lingering in air indicated a mixture of a tractor, grass and tires, Griggs said around 12:30 p.m.

In addition to extinguishing the blaze, crews fought Monday’s heat, which reached 97 degrees with a heat index of 102 degrees by mid-afternoon.

“The heat does take a lot out of our responders,” Griggs said. “… There’s not a lot of wind or air movement.”

Crews stayed hydrated by drinking bottles of water and taking shifts as they battled the fire. Crews were on scene until about 1:30 p.m.