Wildfire causes evacuation of 400 from church camps in Kiowa County
Wildfire causes evacuation of 400 from church camps in Kiowa County
27 July 2011
published by http://newsok.com
USA — LONE WOLF Two church camps with a total of 400 children were evacuated as a wildfire burned near their campgrounds in Kiowa County.
No injuries were reported in the fire, and one camp planned to return to their campgrounds Wednesday night.
A group of about 200 kids from the Quartz Mountain Christian Camp were sheltered at the Church of Christ in Hobart Wednesday evening, American Red Cross spokesman Rusty Surette said. Fire crews contained the blaze, and those children were expected to return to that camp about 9 p.m., Kiowa County emergency manager Bill Orebaugh said.
The second group, the Southwest Baptist Assembly Camp, lost power at their campgrounds. About 200 children were being sheltered at the First Baptist Church in Hobart, Surette said. Orebaugh said that camp had been canceled and children were expected to start returning home Wednesday night.
The fire, which was started by a lightning bolt that struck power lines on a mountain near Lone Wolf on Sunday, flared up about 3 p.m. Wednesday. The blaze destroyed a campground that has been abandoned for at least 20 years, Orebaugh said, and State Highway 44 had to be closed for six hours because smoke was blowing across the road.
Firefighters from Quartz Mountain, Lone Wolf and Blair battled the fire.
Orebaugh said no homes were threatened.
