Firefighters Avoid Cars During Grass Fire
FirefightersAvoid Cars During Grass Fire
20 February 2007
published by www.firefightingnews.com
Oklahoma, USA — Officialssaid drivers, not the flames, were the biggest danger to firefighters working agrass fire near Cashion on Monday morning. About 350 acres of land burned, butno homes were damaged in the blaze at Charter Oak Road and State Highway 74 inwestern Logan County, Cashion Fire Chief Danny Clark said.
Firefighters had compounded worries, however, as driverson SH 74 continued driving into the smoke, nearly hitting fire crews, he said.
There were no injuries in the fire but severalnear-collisions, Clark said.
“People were driving through the smoke,” hesaid. “I heard of several instances where fire trucks were nearly struck byvehicles driving through the smoke.”
Fire crews from eight fire departments worked the blaze,which was reported about 9 a.m. and knocked down about an hour later, Clark said.
Edmond, Guthrie, Oak Cliff, Twin Lakes, Piedmont, DeerCreek and Crescent firefighters assisted.
In addition to containing the fire, Clark said the crewsworked specifically on structure protection to divert the flames away from homes.
The cause of the fire might have been a spark from avehicle or a cigarette thrown out of a moving car, Clark said.
“This is probably the start of it,” he said.”With all the snow and rain and ice we had, everyone thinks the drought’sover. They’re wrong.”
Clark said if residents want to avoid a replay of lastyear’s devastating fires, they should begin taking precautions, trimming thegrass close to their houses and making sure fire trucks can access theirproperty.
