ROBERT PIERCE
• Leader & Times
Firefighters from three states responded to a grass fire Tuesday afternoon in Beaver County, Okla.
Some media outlets and Facebook pages are reporting the departments include the Booker, Texas, Volunteer Fire Department, the Ashland Fire Department and Perryton, Texas, Fire and Rescue.
Seward County Fire Chief Andrew Barkley reported Tuesday, firefighters from his department were also on hand, as was the Texas County, Okla., Fire Strike Team, consisting of firefighters from Guymon, Texhoma, Goodwell, Hough, Yarbrough, Hardesty and Baker.
Other counties helping with the fire included Beaver County, Ellis County, Okla., and Ochiltree County, Texas, and the Oklahoma Forestry Division (OFS) out of Weatherford also responded.
Dubbed the “Flat Tire Fire,” OFS said the fire has burned about 5,000 acres and is the first sizable fire in Northwest Oklahoma this season. The department likewise said the fire was the largest of four still ongoing fires Wednesday, including others in Sequoyah County, Pottawatomie County and Adair County.
“This was a large fire with a great deal of dry fuels to burn,” Guymon Fire Chief Grant Wadley said.
Firefighters were challenged by the current weather conditions and high fuel loads in their efforts in controlling and containing these fires. Reports indicate the Oklahoma Forestry Division was still on scene Wednesday morning putting out hot areas and constructing fire lines.
Tuesday afternoon, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported U.S. Highway 83 from U.S. Highway 64 in Turpin, Okla., to U.S. Highway 412 was closed due to the fire, and officials cautioned drivers to try to avoid the area for emergency crew. Just before 9 p.m. Tuesday, OHP reported the roads were back open.
As of 9 a.m. Wednesday, OFS reported the fire was about 25 percent contained.
