HOPE — Way down the end of Peasetown Road, Hope Fire Chief Clarence Keller said one of the two property owners on the road kept smelling smoke, but couldn’t find the source. For nearly four weeks, Keller said the man kept smelling “little whiffs,” but didn’t see anything. That all changed Oct. 5, when there was enough smoke to trace the source and a woods fire was discovered.

“It was definitely a lightning strike that caused it,” said Keller. “We found the tree that was struck, about four weeks ago when we had a storm roll through.”

Keller said Ranger Scott Maddox responded to the fire call around 10:40 a.m. Wednesday, along with 10 firefighters from Hope. He said the fire was located about 500 feet into the woods and burned about 2/10 of an acre.

“Fortunately it didn’t get going to much, as it’s so dry out. Had it been windy at all, or it was not spotted when it was, it could have been a bigger conflagration,” said Keller.

When firefighters arrived on scene, only a small amount of flame was showing. The rest of the fire was smoldering in the ground.

Keller said they worked to put out what they found, and went back again Thursday to check on it.

“We will go back over there over the next couple of days to make sure it’s really out, to be safe,” said Keller. “An important thing to note is that with any outdoor burning, there is a real imperative to make sure it’s really out. Dig down and mix the water with the coals, you can’t just dump water on it and walk away and think it’s out, as the coals can stay hot pretty far down in the ground and flare up later like this one.”

Reach Editorial Director Holly S. Edwards at hollyedwards@penbaypilot.com and 207-706-6655.