LAKE COUNTY -- Northeast Ohio's dry and hot conditions means any spark in your summer fun could quickly turn dangerous.
On Memorial Day Monday, the Mentor Fire Department, along with Painesville Township and Grand River, responded to three different fires at Mentor Headlands.
All three were believed to be sparked by a cigarette butt or burning material from a grill.
Cottonwood seed covering the dry ground caused the flames to spread quickly.
"It's almost like a firecracker fuse, that's how fast it spreads," says Lt. Rob Gandee, with Mentor Fire Department.
Cottonwood seed is just one concern. Dry straw or grass along our highways and dry mulch in our flower beds can also go up in flames quickly.
Fire officials warn smokers to use caution when tossing a cigarette butt anywhere outside when conditions are this dry.
WKYC-TV