Rachel Dove-Baldwin | Daily News A brush fire at Kate Cove in Forest Hills, Ky. came dangerously close to the home of Mike and Cecelia Goff on Monday afternoon. A quick response by members of the Belfry Volunteer Fire Department prevented any property damage from occurring. Dry ground conditions along with gusty winds contributed to the spreading of the fire.

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Rachel Dove-Baldwin

Staff Writer

FOREST HILLS, Ky. — A mixture of dry leaves and brush accompanied by strong gusts of wind were a bad combination for several home owners who reside on Kate Cove in the Forest Hills, Ky. community, as a brush fire expanded to a large section of land, threatening the safety of their homes and property.

Shortly after 12 o’clock noon on Monday, members of the Belfry Volunteer Fire Department (BVFD) were dispatched to 348 Kate Camp Road which is the home of Mike and Cecelia Goff, after the fire behind their home was detected.

“I had smelled smoke a little earlier in the morning but I had blown out candles that had been burning so I chalked the smell up to that,” explained Cecelia. “I was upstairs in my daughter’s bedroom hanging up clothes when I glanced out the window and seen the fire.”

The shaken homeowner called 911 and within a short period of time, 9 BVFD and one fire truck were on scene battling the fire. The firemen utilized the water from their swimming pool to help extinguish the blaze.

“According to the weather report on the news, we were supposed to get rain today and as far as I’m concerned, it can’t come quick enough,” said Cecelia. “This was a very scary situation.”

Pike County Deputy Sheriff J. Williams told the Daily News that the wind had greatly contributed to the spreading of the fire, as well as the dryness of the leaves and plants.

“We’re concentrating on the area behind these 3 homes right now, and then the firemen will work their way around the hillside,” stated Williams. “Hopefully the rain will begin to fall shortly; it would definitely help us a lot.”

The Kentucky Division of Forestry was called to the scene after the volunteer firefighters observed the flames creeping overtop the mountain and snaking its way down the opposite side, hoping to curtail the situation before more homes or lives were placed in danger.

“We can’t emphasize how important it is to not burn any materials outdoors that are not carefully supervised because within just a few minutes, the hillside can catch fire before you realize what’s happening,” said the deputy. The fire remains under investigation.

Forest fires and brush fires have also been reported in other locations in Eastern Kentucky, as well as Mingo, Logan and Kanawha Counties in WV.