Video from Creston, Iowa, on Saturday shows large clouds of pollen rising from cedar trees. A homeowner called to report a grass fire, but when firefighters arrived they realized it was just pollen!
Pollen season is here and while it’s usually easy to recognize on trees or cars, sometimes looks can be deceiving, as video from Iowa showed.
A homeowner in Creston, Iowa, on Saturday called to report a grass fire in some trees in Green Valley State Park near his home.
Creston Fire Department said they, along with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, responded to the scene to investigate.
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Creston Fire Department responding the report of a grass fire in Creston, Iowa, that turned out to be pollen.
(Creston Fire Department/Facebook / FOX Weather)
An Iowa DNR park ranger arrived ahead of firefighters and confirmed there were no controlled burns taking place in the park at the time.
When the fire department arrived, they couldn’t see any visible smoke in the area.
However, as the park ranger and firefighters got closer, they noticed that cedar trees were periodically releasing large clouds of pollen up into the air.
The fire department said the pollen appeared similar to smoke as it rose up between the trees.
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Firefighters responded to the report of a grass fire which turned out to be just pollen.
(Creston Fire Department/Facebook / FOX Weather)
Cedar trees are known for releasing large amounts of pollen in the early months of the year.
According to the Cleveland Clinic, cedar tree pollen often induces allergies nicknamed “cedar fever.”
Cedar fever can cause symptoms like traditional pollen allergies, including stuffy nose, coughing and itchy eyes.
According to pollen.com, pollen levels were high in the area on Saturday.
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Clouds of pollen resembling smoke rise from cedar trees.
(Creston Fire Department/Facebook / FOX Weather)
The landowner who reported the smoke-appearing pollen said he’d never seen anything like this in his years of living there, the fire department said.
“While he was apologetic for calling us, we assured him that when in doubt, give us a shout (or call 911),” Creston Fire Department said in a Facebook post about the incident.
A Creston Fire Department truck responding to the report of a grass fire that turned out to be pollen.
(Creston Fire Department/Facebook)
A Red Flag Warning was also in effect on Saturday, signaling increased fire weather danger due to dry, windy conditions and low humidity.
The Creston Fire Department reported responding to a powerful grass fire on Saturday that had spread across a field.
A top wind gust of 30 mph was recorded in Creston on Saturday, according to the FOX Forecast Center.
