No rain, more fire

Huber Heights,OHIO (WDTN) - A serious lack of rain has led to another problem in the Miami Valley, dangerously dry grass.

A spare spark can set an entire field ablaze in a matter of minutes.

Wayne County, Indiana officials have issued a state of emergency, temporarily prohibiting open burning.

In Huber Heights, firefighters say they've put out 3 or 4 grass fires just Wednesday and that's been the trend all week.

Wednesday just after 6 p.m., witnesses reported flames reaching 25 feet in the sky in a one acre field at the corner of Rip Rap and Powell Roads.

Officials believe it may have been caused by a cigarette thrown from a passing car.

"With everything being dry, it doesn't take much to spark a fire like this," said Huber Heights Fire Lt. Keith Knisley. "With any sort of wind, you can see how fast this one travelled, and it basically ran out of fuel or was running out of fuel by the time we got here."

Officials ask that you use an ashtray if you smoke, instead of throwing cigarettes out the window. They say you should also keep a bucket of water on hand at barbeques in case a spark ignites on the grass.