A stubborn brush fire in Severn Township has put local fire crews to the test in more ways than one.

About 40 acres in a remote area near Big Chute has been burning for several days. Fire crews only got the call last night and discovered it was a low and slow burning fire that likely wasn’t visible to the naked eye.

“It’s the type of fire that burns in the ground, so it can spread underground quiet quickly and pop up all over the place,” said Deputy fire chief Mark Hatch.

The recent dry spell hasn’t helped, turning the entire bush into highly flammable fuel.

Crews spent Friday putting out hot spots and while the smoke is still rising from the ground, they managed to get the fire under control with some help from the rainfall.

There are a couple of cottages not far away from the brush fire. Severn’s deputy fire chief says if it wasn’t for the progress made today, this could have turned into a tragic story.

“The cottages that are standing there right now that was next in line, so we’re very fortunate,” said Hatch.