OGDEN -A large and smoky farm field fire shut down I-74 east of Urbana for several hours Tuesday afternoon.
Heavy smoke obstructed the view for dozens of drivers in an area between St. Joseph and Fithian.
IPM meteorologist Andrew Pritchard said from the scene that Tuesday’s strong winds in central Illinois helped the fire spread quickly.
“At times as the fire moved through these corn crops that have not been harvested, the flames have been very tall-in some cases maybe 10-15 feet tall moving very quickly from south to north, so at times very intense fire conditions out here. “
Firefighters and farmers were able to take out most of the flames after a couple of hours, and I-74 was reopened to traffic in the late afternoon.
There were reports of two other field fires Tuesday in Iroquois County and Pritchard said hot, dry and windy conditions may continue the risk of fires Wednesday. The National Weather Service also issued a warning about the risk of fires reoccurring due to high winds.
Southwest winds gusting near 40 mph and very dry fuels will bring elevated risk for the spread of outdoor fire again today. Burning is discouraged! #ILwx pic.twitter.com/2cxkOTVTQF
— NWS Lincoln IL (@NWSLincolnIL) October 30, 2024
No injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation.