Staff report

A brush fire swept through approximately 60 acres of woodland Tuesday, sending at least one firefighter to the hospital with heat exhaustion.

Firefighters worked into the night battling the fire that was reported around 4:45 p.m. by a resident in 3300 block of Desert Road, said Capt. Jim Judkins, spokesman for the Suffolk Department of Fire and Rescue.

Approximately 30 firefighters from Suffolk, the Whaleyville Volunteer Fire Department and the Virginia Department of Forestry plowed a line around the fire and had it contained by around 8 p.m. said Judkins.

An engine company will remain on the scene overnight to make sure the fire doesn’t jump the lines, he said.

Lt. Kenny Nelms, the first firefighter to respond to the scene, was taken to Obici Hospital for heat exhaustion, Judkins said. Two other firefighters were evaluated at the scene by paramedics.

He also said late Tuesday that it was too soon to determine when or how the fire started.

The fire was at least a mile from any homes.