Something as simple as a blown tire could have sparked the wildfires last week that burned hundreds of acres in Escambia County — a reminder to all of us that as dry conditions persist, we need to be careful about anything that could spark another blaze.

Atmore remains under a burn ban, and the county is under a fire alert — and without a forecast for a good saturating rain, we could be under these conditions for a while.

While last week’s massive forest fire — which burned about 1,500 acres — was spectacular in its scope, what was more amazing to us was the response Escambia County received when it sent word for help.

Firefighters from around the region — dressed in their heavy turnout gear — battled the blazes all afternoon in temperatures nearing 100 degrees. Sometimes we take for granted that we can have that kind of cooperation among men and women who routinely put their lives on the line to protect us and our property.

As firefighters from our county and others battled the fires throughout the afternoon and evening, a few homeowners had to evacuate, and some roads were shut down because of the smoke.

But not one home was actually hurt by the fire, thanks to the quick and dedicated work of all of the firefighters.

We hope that everyone will be careful as these dry conditions persist.