Monday afternoon, members of the Superior Volunteer Fire Department responded to two fires at nearly the same time.

“Butch” Nondorf called his son, Scott - the fire chief, and reported smoke. Live embers from a burn pit at the Mertens residence at the southwest corner Superior had ignited closely cropped grass around the pit and a brisk westerly wind had pushed the fire to the edge of Lost Creek.

Mertens had been issued a fire permit and used the burn pit a month ago.

While rushing toward Superior to join other members of the SVFD, a fireman spotted smoke rising into the air at the Mason Ely r...