by Pat Peterson
Published: Tue, February 10, 2009 - 5:25 pm CST
Volunteer firefighters had their hands full in the Stockton community Tuesday when a grass fire threatened Vaughn Elementary School.
"The winds have a tendency to shift," says Patrick Waldrop with Alabama Forestry. "Especially when they come out of the South, it can be a little tricky."
The fire burned 40 acres of woodlands on County Road 21 across the street from the school. Sheriff's deputies evacuated the children and moved them to a local community center as a precaution. The fire also threatened several homes in the area. Officers evacuated several families as well.
"I saw the fire racing up the hill," says Nathaniel Johnson who lives near the school. "It's my father-in-law's house, I was worried about it, I came over and sprayed it with the water hose."
Parents picked up their children around noon when officials closed the school for the day. Nobody was hurt and the fire did not damage the school or any nearby structures. It took firefighters more than four hours to put out the blaze.
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