Brush Fire Burns Across More Than 100 Acres In Sperry

More than 100 acres burned near Sperry Wednesday. The fire had crews from several different departments battling the flames.

And while the fire is under control, Sperry crews continue to monitor hot spots late into the night.

Flames burned across more than 100 acres in Sperry, and thick smoke and ash filled the surrounding area for hours.

Officials said the fire started in a rural area south of Highway 11 and west of North Peoria on private property.

Braden Gomez owns the Legacy Lounge off Highway 11 and spent the afternoon watching the flames get closer and closer.

"It was directly across the way. We were standing on the balcony just watching it the whole time," he said. ”We've had a couple customers come in because of the fire."

Department after department stepped up to help Sperry Fire battle the flames; their biggest challenge was getting to the fire.

"Having a hard time getting trucks in there, the ground is still soft in a low-lying area," said Sperry Fire Chief Sam Bradley.

Crews spent hours taking on the high winds and dense brush, but eventually got the fire under control; something Gomez said he was thankful for after hours of worrying.

"I wanted to water the bar down and hopefully it didn't come this way to burn our bar down," he said. “We would lose everything. That's how we pay our bills and how we support our family."

So far, there is no word on what may have caused the fire.