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Clark County firefighters were part of an emergency response group that came to the aid of Jackson County residents who were without electricity during the heavy winter storm last week that felled trees and blanketed roads in snow and ice.

Chief Steve Asbury said eight of his guys answered the call Friday morning to be part of the Bluegrass Emergency Response Team, or BERT, effort to clear about 30 miles of Ky. 2004 near McKee along with side roads, and do welfare checks on local residents.

“We had to cut our way into those residents so we could check on them,” Asbury said. “We probably cleared a total of four miles of trees on these little side roads.”

Asbury said Jackson County Emergency Management and firefighters had been working on the main road since Monday and had cleared most of the trees on it when the Clark County Fire Department and BERT members from several other departments in Central Kentucky arrived. But the side roads were still “impassable,” and firefighters had to use all-terrain vehicles (ATVs) and four-wheel drive trucks to reach some of the residents.

“There were just a lot of cold, hungry people,” Asbury said.

Most of the residents were well-prepared for what the storm might bring, but many were running out of food and water, he said.

Firefighters delivered firewood, kersosene and cases of water to some of them.

Asbury said there may still be homes in the area without power on Monday.

The eight Clark County firefighters were among 39 BERT members who were there Friday to help. They were Tyler S. Tays, Mike Kelso, Luke Bush, Chief Steven Asbury, Calvin Park, Battalion Chief William Jordan, James Keese and Lt. Eric Hunter.