A fire started Wednesday afternoon in the woods behind the Berrien Woods Apartments on the south side of the complex in Niles Township.
Three fire units — two from the Niles Township and one from Niles — responded to the scene at about 4 p.m. Wednesday afternoon.
No one was injured and crews were able to put out the fire in about 15 minutes, according to authorities.
Niles Fire Chief Larry Lamb said that the cause of the fire was allegedly a man who was burning leaves in the wooded area.
The Berrien County Sheriff’s Department said they could not release any information about the incident, because the situation is still under investigation.
Despite high winds, Niles Township fire fighter Josh Sherrick said the crews did not face any issues battling the blaze. Approximately an acre of wooded area was damaged. Most of what burned was underbrush and the fire had reached as close as 10 feet from the apartment nearest the park.
Phil Batey and his grandson Gavin Batey, 12, were returning home from the YMCA, when they saw the smoke and fire from their car window. The Bateys contacted the authorities immediately, they said. They also notified the apartment’s office of the situation.
“Thank God they [the fire department] rushed,” Gavin said. “Because it was right on the edge [of the woods].”