Severe weather brings fire, storms to Laclede County

Laclede County residents might have seen brushfires, hail and wind funnels at an uncomfortable distance last Friday. The county saw the continuance of a National Weather Service Red Flag Warning, which strongly discourages outside burning during conditions in which fires quickly spread. County Office of Emergency Management Director Randy Rowe reported that his office and partners had been preparing since Wednesday for fires during the day and tornadoes during the night. On Friday, Rowe said that from 11 a.m. on, the county’s firefighters were busy putting out flames. Rowe note three large fires: a fire on Marigold Road near Barclay Conservation Area; one in Camden County one in the vicinity of Route 54 and Highway J; and a “multi-alarm fire” in the Nebo/Falcon Fire Protection District. As for the storm, the National Weather Service had tracked storms that could have impacted Laclede County. Rowe noted that when the NWS initially issues a warning, it is for a whole county, with specifications typically after the first cycle on which areas in the county might be affected. NWS Warning Coordinator Meteorologist Steve Runnels confirmed that an EF-1 tornado landed north of Lynchburg on Friday, though the NWS is still verifying other aspects of the storm. Rowe noted that Nebo/Falcon Fire Chief and certified storm spotter Doug Christlieb saw two wind funnels from his house on Friday. Properties in the area as well as the Mark Twain National Forest received damage from the wind. For more on this story, see Wednesday's LCR.