OKLAHOMA CITY – Fire crews have been busy all day putting out hot spots from a large grass fire that happened Thursday in northeast Oklahoma City.
Officials said hundreds of acres were damaged in this blaze near N.E. 150th St. and Hiwassee.
Residents are working on cleaning up the mess and crews are trying to prevent more fires from occurring.
Broken and blackened branches, burnt ground and smoldering embers are left over from a massive grass fire that damaged about 400 acres.
Joseph Dwerlkotte said, “We saw it jump over the road into our property and saw it spread pretty quickly with the wind.”
Dwerlkotte was enjoying spring break outside when the fun stopped and survival mode kicked in.
He said, “We just kind of got the shovels out and just started to try and snuff out the fire as much as possible.”
The family lives on 40 acres along the Turner Turnpike, near N.E. 150th St. and Hiwassee.
This isn’t the first time a blaze has gotten a little too close to home.
He said, “Being near the highway, lot of times, trucks and other vehicles have a chain or something loose and a spark from that spark the fires.”
While the large flames are gone, there are tons of little fires rekindling that are damaging even more of the land.
Batt. Chief Felton Morgan, with the Oklahoma City Fire Department, said, “We want to get those things put out and, I mean all the way out, so that when the wind gusts or anything it doesn’t take those embers and blow those to a new area and start a new fire.”
Dry and windy conditions and heavy brush and timber have made it challenging for crews, but they won’t leave until every hot spot is out.
Luckily, no one was hurt and residents hope life goes back to normal for the weekend.
Dwerlkotte said, “Hopefully, just relax and hopefully not to fight anymore fires.”
There are burn bans in place for a handful of counties across the state.