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Five fire departments fight Hillsdale brush fire
Roger Hannigan Gilson is reporting in the Register-Star a brush fire started by a downed power line scorched a field and burned a backhoe in Hillsdale, Tue., Mar. 29. Officials said the fire started when the wind knocked a tree down onto a power line, bringing both to the ground. Craryville Fire Chief William Baker said a preliminary report of a barn also catching fire was incorrect. He said the fire was close to the barn, but firefighters stopped it before the structure was involved. The National Weather Service in Albany reported that winds were gusting between 34 and 37 miles per hour at the time of the blaze. Downed power lines always have a chance of starting brush fires during this time of year if the lines are still energized, Baker said. Eighteen brush fires have been reported in Columbia County since March 3, according to Columbia County 911. Read the full story in the Register-Star.