Firefighter injured during 2.5-acre field fire in rural Lee County

ROCHELLE — A firefighter was injured Sunday afternoon while responding to a field fire about 3 miles south of Interstate 88 in rural Lee County.

The firefighter, who was hit in the head by farm equipment, was taken to Rochelle Community Hospital and discharged later the same day, Rochelle Fire Department Chief Dave Sawlsville said.

“One of the neighboring farmers showed up and the firefighter was directing him in where to go,” Sawlsville said. “The firefighter turned back to what he was doing and, as the piece of farm equipment turned, he got whacked in the head.”

The fire started around 1:45 p.m. Sunday in a field on Thorpe Road and damaged picked and standing corn, he said.

“When it was all said and done and the smoke had cleared, it [the fire] was about 2.5 acres,” Sawlsville said.

The cause was a faulty piece of farm equipment that started the corn on fire, Sawlsville said.

The Ogle-Lee and Ashton fire protection districts and the Lee County Sheriff’s Office also responded to the fire.

Field fires are common during harvest season, and neighboring farmers often show up with their farm equipment to help plow “fire breaks” around the blazes, Sawlsville said.

“On these large field fires, what does make the difference is when the neighbors show up with their farm equipment,” he said. “The fire goes out quickly once you get them there. … It would take us three times as long to put these field fires out without their help.”