Published: March 21, 2008 07:57 am      

Fires plague area, keep firefighters busy

Fires again gave Northwest Oklahoma firefighters a workout Thursday, as flames broke out in at least three different areas in the afternoon and an apartment fire threatened residents there.

Firefighters from three states and 30 communities including Laverne, Beaver, Fort Supply, Mutual, Buffalo, Fargo, Mooreland, Goltry, Weatherford, Clinton, Thomas and many others helped Woodward firefighters battle flames from the largest, a grass fire east of Mooreland.

By press time that blaze was still consuming acres south of U.S. Highway 412, carried by 30 to 40 mph winds that blew in a slightly northeastern direction Thursday afternoon.

But the first fire of the day began on the cook stove in an apartment at Tara Apartments on the west side of Woodward. The apartment fire gutted the downstairs portion of the apartment and left one family homeless.

That fire is thought to have begun when heating grease ignited while the resident had gone to a neighbor’s home to get other ingredients for some eggs he was cooking, said the resident, Johni Bishop.

Firefighters no sooner wrapped that situation up before heading to the other fire- one of the largest and most damaging fires of the season here-that broke out near Bouse Junction east of Mooreland.

Bouse Junction is located at the intersection of U.S. Highway 283 and U.S. Highway 412.

With flames leaping 15 top 20 feet, the grass fire crossed U.S. Highway 412, blowing north and caused the evacuation of nearby Quinlan. Quinlan is an approximately one square kilometer community and home to about 14 families. It is located about eight miles east of Mooreland and north of U.S. Highway 412 about two miles.

Woodward County deputies also closed an approximate 10 mile stretch of U.S. Highway 412 at about 6:15 p.m. Thursday evening. The highway was closed from the intersection of Newman Road, which is about eight miles east of Mooreland, for about 10 miles. The smoke covered road could be seen from Woodward as well as 10 miles in the surrounding area. As of press time, the highway remained closed and firefighters were still battling the blaze that’s origin is still unknown.

According to Matt Lehenbauer, City-County emergency manager, the fire near Quinlan was contained by about 9:30 p.m. but by 10 p.m. flames on the south side of the highway still burned into the night.