Firefighters from five area departments were called out Sunday afternoon to Barringer Road in Ilion to fight a large grass fire.
Departments from Mohawk, East Herkimer, Frankfort, Ilion and  Cedarville fought the 8-acre fire for about four hours. Little Falls and Herkimer departments were on standby. MOVAC responded to the fire scene.
Second Assistant Chief Dan Mabitt of the Mohawk department said the fire started out as a pretty good one.
“When we got here it was really cooking pretty good,” Mabitt said.
Firefighters were transported closer to the scene via 4-wheelers, Jeeps and fire trucks. The fire was located about half a mile from Barringer Road.
Stiff winds fueled the flames hindering the firefighters efforts.
Mohawk Fire Dept. had a busy day Sunday. Randy Hunt, first assistant chief of Mohawk said the department responded to a grass fire at 12:45 p.m.  on Shumaker Hill Road. East Herkimer also responded to help with that fire.
No injuries were reported at either fire.
 Across the state, fires have been popping up due to the dry spring conditions.
In other parts of the state, cooler temperatures and increased humidity helped crews battling a 3,000-acre brush fire Sunday in the Catskill Mountains of Ulster County.
Yancey Roy, spokesman for the state Department of Environmental Conservation, said the fire was 80 percent contained.
More than 250 people from the state, county and 27 area fire companies were fighting the fire in the Shawangunk Ridge area, in Minnewaska State Park.
Roy said the terrain was so difficult that fire trucks and even all-terrain vehicles could not get close.
No injuries have been reported, and the only known property loss was a ranger hut in the park.
The area is mainly hardwood forest, pitch pine and mountain laurel.
With no significant fires in the area in recent years, dried ground cover and brush have created a major source of fuel, Roy said.
“Thankfully, there have been no structural losses and no evacuations are necessary or planned at this time,” Gov. David Paterson said.
Dozens of brush fires have broken out in the state during the past week, due to dry weather and the ground conditions.
Minnewaska State Park remained closed Sunday.
From staff and
wire reports