What to do when encountering brush fire or dust storm while driving

DECATUR, Ill. (WAND) - Tuesday afternoon, 8 miles of I-74 were shut down due to a brush fire near St. Joseph and Fithian.

Dry conditions, wind, and humidity all feed into the possibility of brush fires and dust storms popping up.

"We're expecting some periods of high winds for the next couple of days and so, there's an elevated fire risk because it's been so dry throughout Illinois for quite some time," said Clayton Kuetemeyer, the Deputy Director of the Illinois Emergency Management Agency. "We've got a lot of farm machinery out working, so you combine all of those things and there's several different potential hazards that folks need to be aware of."

The dry air and soil are perfect conditions for dust storms, like the one that caused the 1-55 crash in May of 2023.

"Don't drive into an area of visibility if you can't see, that's not safe," Kuetemeyer said. "You want to get your lights and hazard lights on, pull over safely or find a way to pull out of traffic and either go around the area you can't see or what until that clears up."

Once you are in a safe place, you should call 911 to let them know what you're seeing.

Kuetemeyer added, "You certainly don't want to put yourself in a situation that becomes more dangerous if other vehicles are still coming. So, you want to make sure you move yourself somewhere where you're not at risk of being run into or running into somebody else."

If you're outside when a brush fire sparks, get inside and cover your nose and mouth with a mask or a wet cloth.