Firefighters contain small brush fire in Thermal

Firefighters have contained a small brush fire in Thermal that ignited near Grapefruit Boulevard and Avenue 54 Monday afternoon.

The fire was reported shortly before 1 p.m. in an empty field. Officials said an agricultural burn was planned in the field a couple of years ago but it never actually took place. One of the mounds of brush that was in place for that burn caught fire.

Fire crews were able to contain the fire to a 1/4-acre. Firefighters are still investigating exactly how the mound caught fire. They expect to remain on scene until late Monday afternoon.

Officials said weather played in the fire department’s favor; it wasn’t too windy or too hot.