Fast-Moving Wildfire Threatens Homes in Perry County's Christopher Community

A forest fire that re-ignited in the Christopher community east of Hazard burned more than 50 acres and threatened multiple homes Wednesday night into Thursday, March 26, drawing a coordinated response from three Perry County fire departments before crews gained the upper hand.

Hazard Fire Department officials said crews were originally called to the Christopher area on Tuesday to reports of a much smaller wildfire, which was controlled before re-sparking on Wednesday. What returned was far more aggressive. Jake's Branch Fire and Rescue posted on Facebook around 8 p.m. on March 25 that crew members were helping the Hazard Fire Department and the Viper Fire Department battle flames in the woods near the Christopher area.

The Kentucky Division of Forestry's interactive fire response map reported that, as of 10 p.m. Wednesday, the fire was 50% contained and stretched across 50 acres. Satellite mapping services had tracked hot spots in the Right Fork Mace's Creek corridor throughout the event as containment figures shifted with conditions and suppression progress.

"Our biggest role when we fight a forest fire is structure protection," said Robert Keith, chief at Hazard Fire Department. That focus paid off: crews reported no structures were damaged, crediting the coordinated work of the Hazard Fire Department, Viper Volunteer Fire and Rescue, and Jake's Branch Volunteer Fire Department.

"When it gets dry and windy like this, we'll have several a day usually, small fires and sometimes they turn into big fires like this one in Christopher," Keith said. His comment reflects a broader pattern across eastern Kentucky this spring. Active forest fires burned through many parts of the Bluegrass region, from Perry and Whitley counties to Floyd County, with crews still working to contain some blazes as dry and windy conditions continued.

A restriction on open burning between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m. remains in effect statewide through April 30. Violating Kentucky's forest protection statutes can carry serious consequences: penalties for intentionally setting a fire on another person's land include a fine of not less than $1,000 or more than $10,000, imprisonment for up to five years, or both.

As of Thursday, officials said the fire was mostly contained, though crews planned to continue monitoring it. Residents in the Christopher corridor were asked to keep roads clear for emergency vehicles and to report any new smoke or flame activity immediately to 911.