Volunteer firefighters from each department in Brown County were out battling blazes throughout the county on a windy Sunday.

The day started with Jackson Township Volunteer Fire Department responding to a structure fire in the 7800 block of Oak Ridge Road just after 1 p.m. The homeowner was burning a pile of debris and trash behind a garage-shed when the wind blew cardboard from the fire into the building, Jackson Township Fire Chief Glenn Elmore said.

The fire then spread to three nearby parked cars. Soon, explosions began.

“We had multiple mini-explosions from one of the cars where the fuel tank ruptured. The other ones (explosions) were from the 20-pound propane tanks you use on grills. We had a couple of those inside the garage that blew on us, and a couple of gas cans that blew up. It was crazy,” Elmore said.

The cars and garage-shed were a total loss. Firefighters from Hamblen Township and Morgantown volunteer fire departments were on that scene for about four hours.

The homeowner there was treated by ambulance personnel for heat exhaustion because he had been working to put the fire out before firefighters arrived.

“He was pretty much recovered within three hours,” Elmore said.

Once the Oak Ridge Road fire was under control and firefighters were working on putting out hot spots, dispatch reported another structure fire in the 6200 block of North Shore Drive.

Elmore turned command of the Oak Ridge Road scene to Assistant Chief September McCabe before heading out for North Shore Drive.

Two Hamblen Township firefighters also responded from the Oak Ridge Road scene to North Shore with their tanker. A ladder truck from Jackson Fire was also dispatched.

“When we arrived, the side of the residence was on fire. The shed that was between the two homes had basically burnt almost to the ground and there was a pontoon boat that was on fire,” Elmore said.

Firefighters worked to put out the siding fire first.

“There were two windows that had busted out from the fire itself, but most of it was the siding and soffit overhang area. Not too much damage inside the house except for some smoke damage,” Elmore said.

The shed and the boat were both a total loss.

A neighbor to the home had been out burning a pile of debris in between the two homes when the wind blew it over into the home’s yard.

“The wind blew that over into the neighbor’s yard and that’s what started everything on fire,” Elmore said.

Fruitdale Volunteer Fire Department and Benton Township Volunteer Fire Department also responded to North Shore Drive.

As the weather continues to warm up and spring nears, Elmore cautions anyone who is thinking about burning any debris outside.

“By state statute and by county statute, they’re really not supposed to be burning on the ground, like they have been,” he said.

“They should have a container that they burn in with a screen over it and they should keep their fire small and have some type of firefighting equipment, like a bucket of water or a hose, available just in case it does get out of control.”

Elmore said there are containers available for purchase that people can burn debris in to keep it off the ground. Other containers look similar to campfire containers that have legs to keep it off the ground and a screen on top of it to keep flames in.

Jackson Township Fire was out again this morning responding to a structure fire on Whispering Pines Road. That fire ended up being a furnace motor that had caught on fire, and it was contained with no major damage reported to the home, Elmore said.

It was a busy Sunday for fires.

Southern Brown Volunteer Fire Department and Brown County (Nashville) Volunteer Fire Department responded to a grass/brush/mulch fire in the 5700 block of Stevens Road yesterday afternoon at about 2:30 p.m.

Cordry-Sweetwater Volunteer Fire Department was dispatched to a woods fire in the 7300 block of Cordry Drive at 4:04 p.m.

Southern Brown Fire and Nashville Fire were back out again yesterday evening at around 7:30 p.m. in the 7500 block of Bob Allen Road for another reported grass/brush/mulch fire.

To end the night, Cordry-Sweetwater Fire and Hamblen Fire responded to the third grass/brush/mulch fire in the 3200 block of Parsley Road at about 8:15 p.m., according to dispatch records.