Northumberland County firefighters were kept busy Saturday afternoon by a trio of brush fires, all of which were reported within 30 minutes.
The fires were contained and extinguished without causing major damages.
Bill Brown Jr., chief of Upper Augusta Fire Department, attributed the incidents to "spring fever" as people took advantage of Saturday's break in winter weather by cleaning up their properties and riding all-terrain vehicles.
"Every direction you looked, there was a column of smoke in the air," he said of debris fires.
"We spoke with the guys last night and told them to be prepared for it," Brown said. "It was a busy day around the county."
Firefighters from Elysburg and Overlook fire departments responded about 1:45 p.m. to Airport Road in Ralpho Township where a resident's debris fire spread into a corn field.
Dennis Kroh, chief of Elysburg Fire Department, said the fire burned around a house trailer but the structure was not in danger. It was extinguished in about 20 minutes, he said.
About 2:15 p.m., firefighters were dispatched to Lower Road in West Cameron Township where fire spread into a wooded area. Ed Reed, chief of Trevorton Fire Company, said a nearby horse stable was not in any danger. The fire was limited to about a quarter-acre. It was brought under control within 25 minutes and extinguished in about 40 minutes, he said.
Members of East Cameron, Trevorton and Lower Augusta fire companies responded, along with Trevorton Ambulance.
At 2:19 p.m., firefighters responded to an area behind a Route 61 junkyard near Oaklyn in Upper Augusta Township, east of Sunbury.
Brown said an all-terrain vehicle caught fire, igniting the blaze that spread to about three acres of cornfield. He said it didn't threaten any structures and didn't make it into a wooded area. Sunbury Fire Department's brush truck was on scene, and when Elysburg's cleared the Airport Road incident, its personnel also responded.
The Oaklyn incident was cleared at 3:35 p.m., with all responding units placed back in service.
Assisting were Upper Augusta Fire Department, Stonington and Sunbury fire companies and Elysburg Fire Department.