Spring fire smoke reaches Williams area

WILLIAMS — The smoke in Williams, Garland Prairie, Sherwood Forest and Parks area is originating from the 2554-acre Spring Fire centered about 9 miles south east of Williams. The fire started on July 2 and was converted to a managed fire to burn off excess fire fuels.

On Tuesday the fire could be seen burning atop Davenport Knoll. The smoke is heavy, at times, along County Road 73, also known as South Road or Perkinsville Road. At night, when the temperatures drop, the smoke travels lower to the ground and may become heavy in Williams and the surrounding area.

There is a 60% chance of thundershowers this afternoon and 30-to 40% throughout the weekend. If rains come it could cause problems for fire managers who are trying to keep the fire burning. If the storms bring mostly lightning, we could see more fires starting.

In either case, campers are reminded to take care with their campfires and make sure they are completely out when leaving. Fire managers set boundaries which they hope to keep the fire from crossing. Fires started outside those boundaries cause problems with management efforts.