Fire prompts temporary evacuation of Wanship homes

WANSHIP, Summit County — More than a dozen homes were briefly evacuated Wednesday after they were threatened by a grass fire.

The evacuations were mostly ordered as a precaution, although the fire burned within about 200 feet of several homes, said Mike Eriksson, northeast area manager of the state Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands.

The Old Lincoln 4 Fire was reported about noon. Firefighters were able to quickly contain much of the blaze and residents were allowed to return to their homes about 4 p.m.

The fire burned 61 acres and was 90 percent contained Wednesday evening, Eriksson said. "The line is not completely around the fire ... but it's looking really good," he said.

Firefighters expected to fully contain the fire on Thursday.

Eriksson said the fire is believed to be human caused and the Summit County Sheriff's Office is investigating. "We may never end up knowing the exact cause unless someone comes forward," he said.

Reverse 911 calls were made to several residents in the area to notify them of the fire. The evacuation area started at the 1600 block of West Hoytsville Road and went to the north, according to Summit County Sheriff Dave Edmunds.

Volunteer firefighters from the North Summit and South Summit fire districts worked to extinguish the fire until evening and were expected to return Thursday morning. An incident commander lives in the area and planned to watch for trouble spots overnight, Eriksson said.

It was named Old Lincoln 4 because it was the fourth fire in that area this year.

— Pat Reavy

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