BROOKFIELD — Firefighters and area first responders are working to extinguish a rapidly spreading brush fire.
The fire, which began burning Sunday near Capitol Drive and Brookfield Road, is threatening homes and businesses, including car dealerships, which has led to evacuations.
Specifics of the evacuations are not clear as the fire spreads quickly. Flames and thick smoke have made travel difficult in parts of the area, prompting law enforcement to direct traffic.
"I saw it from QuickTrip in Sussex, and I just wanted to see what the clouds were," said Davis from Sussex.
Neighbors have described the fire as "terrifying."
"We saw the smoke coming from outside our window and came over to watch," said Maddie Vetta, who lives nearby. "We used to live in Colorado, and there was one fire there we saw, but it was not like this, not this close to where we live."
Some neighbors are taking action to protect homes.
"The homeowners aren't there, so we saw a little bit of flames coming up the side and approaching the house," said Mark Delaney. "My father-in-law and the neighbor here decided to see what was going on. We just turned the hose on and sprayed it down a little."
Earlier Sunday, before the fire broke out, the Brookfield Fire Department (BFD) posted a warning on social media about how quickly wildfires and grassfires can spread. BFD officials urged residents to follow burn bans and restrictions, check local weather and alerts, and prepare emergency kits and plans.
BFD crews are actively working to extinguish the flames and plan to release an update later.
Storm Team 4 was able to see the smoke on the Storm Team 4 Max Radar at around 2:30 p.m.
This is a developing story. TMJ4 News has a crew at the scene and will continue to provide updates on-air and online as new information becomes available.
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