‘Spread so fast’: Witness says fire that burned 2 acres near Collinsville started small

Motorists along Illinois 159 in Hollywood Heights near Collinsville were concerned about flames they saw from a brush fire near the roadway Wednesday night, but firefighters were able to stop the fire before anyone was injured or any buildings were damaged.

Hollywood Heights Fire Chief Sean Keilbach said the brush fire was stopped in about 30 minutes.

It burned about two acres in an area between Brookhaven Drive and Tanglewood Parkway.

Abagail Helfrich of Collinsville pulled off Illinois 159 to call 911 when she spotted “a tiny fire” along the roadside while she was driving home with her son. She posted videos of the fire on her Facebook page.

“The fire spread so fast,” she said Thursday. “It was definitely scary.”

The cause of the fire has not been determined, Keilbach said.

He noted, however, that the region was under a “do not burn” warning from the National Weather Service due to dry air and high winds Wednesday.

“With these high winds, nobody should be burning right now,” Keilbach said.

The National Weather Service announced Thursday the metro-east will be under a “red flag” warning for the danger of “uncontrolled wildfires” from noon to 7 p.m. Friday due to humidity as low as 18% and southwest winds 15 mph to 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph.

In the fire on Wednesday night, Hollywood Heights received assistance from the Collinsville Fire Department and the State Park Fire Department.

This story was originally published March 20, 2025 at 3:57 PM.