STOCKTON, Ala. — A Tuesday morning brush fire led officials to evacuate Vaughn Elementary School.

Stockton Volunteer Fire Department received a call about 10:30 a.m. regarding a grass fire off Baldwin County Road 21 across from the elementary school and threatening 35 Stapleton homes.

"When we got here the fire was fully involved," Stockton VFD firefighter Lena Roberts said. "I don't know what it was, but it got out of control real quick."

Roberts, accompanied by Capt. Arthur Lee, quickly recruited several nearby residents to assist.

"We recruited these four men, they don't know how much we appreciate it," she said.

The men, John Gray, Johnathan McCall, Derrell Stanley and Johnny Stanley, helped in numerous ways, including spraying the fire, alerting the school and passing out water to firefighters fighting the blaze.

Roberts said the fire was so big they had to call other departments to assist firefighters.

The Rabun and Perdido VFDs responded, as did a couple of firefighters from Pine Grove and Bay Minette.

She said the school was evacuated as a precaution and said school officials were quick to respond.

"They got them out of there quickly," Roberts said. "I was impressed.”

Roberts said she did not think the school could have had a better response.

“We could see the smoke, and the local volunteer fire department and Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department called to tell us evacuating the school might be a good idea,” Terry Wilhite, Baldwin County schools spokesman, said.

Wilhite said it took officials less than 45 minutes to enact the school’s safety plan and move the students.

“We had to move them out of the way,” Wilhite said. “It turned out there was no danger to the students, but it is better to shy on the side of caution.”

The students were moved from Vaughn Elementary, which is the smallest school in the county, to the Stockton Town Hall.

“From a kid’s perspective, the real heroes of this would be the hard working people at Stagecoach,” Wilhite said. “They got a lunch of chicken fingers and green beans and a day out of school.”

Stockton Volunteer Fire Department Cpt. Tim Barlow said the fire started in a clearing, and he believes it was the result of someone burning trash.

Dry undergrowth, warm weather and high winds contributed to the rapid movement of the fire.

"I don't understand why people set fires when it's like this, they know it's going to get out of control," Roberts said.

Nearly every firefighter on the scene repeated that sentiment, noting that the wind was a major factor in the spread of the fire.

The Alabama Forestry Department was called in and utilized aircraft and a bulldozer to combat the blaze.

"The dozer is cutting a line to try and stop the fire from going any further," Ollie Presley with the Rabun VFD said.

He said the line, or trench, is dug and burnable items are removed to "starve" the fire.

Firefighters continuously wet the trees and undergrowth between the fire and the trench to keep the fire from "jumping" the line.

"I know we've saved at least three homes already," Barlow said.

He said more than 60 acres had burned before the fire was completely contained.

"That's why we called everyone out," he said.

North Baldwin EMS was also on hand in case of any injury or health issues arising from the fire.