An ember from a camp fire that began on one west side Sturgeon Bay property ignited a birch tree on the neighboring parcel, turning the top of the broken off tree into a torch Monday evening. The fire actually started at 728 West Oak Street when a campfire, left unattended, somehow ignited a pile of brush and wood on the property line with 727 West Maple Street. It’s believed that the wind, coming from the south/southwest, blew an ember to the tree where it found a home. Sturgeon Bay firefighters responded to the burning tree, but quickly realized they had a fire to deal with on both properties. The crew of five used about 500 gallons of water to extinguish the fire in both areas, cutting down the remains of the birch tree in the process. While the tree was about 15 feet away from a building, there was no danger of that fire spreading. Fire Chief Tim Dietman said it’s difficult to keep a match lit in the wind, yet a tiny ember turned the tree into a torch. The firefighters were called out at about 7:30PM Monday and were back at the station a little more than a half a hour later.
