Homes near the Okmulgee County town of Schulter were at risk of being evacuated after a large grassfire burned most of the day on March 17.
Okmulgee County officials urge residents to stop “controlled” burns
2 News got a close-up look as seven fire department crews fought fire with fire. They created a backburn in order to stop the grassfire from hopping Conifer Road off Highway 75 and threatening the nearby homes.
The fire started as a controlled burn on Sunday, just days after countless wildfires popped up on Friday due to historic winds and dry conditions. Crews in Okmulgee County worked to put out four fires on Sunday due to residents starting what were intended to be controlled burns.
“Right now, do not burn, it is too windy,” said Jeff Moore, Okmulgee County Emergency Manager Director. “Don’t throw your cigarettes out. If you have chains on a trailer, make sure they are secure.”
Moore says he hates sounding like a broken record, but without the county meeting criteria to issue a burn ban, all they can do is make strong recommendations.
“We have a lot of calm days here in Oklahoma and there is plenty of time to do controlled burns at your house,” said Moore. Moore said the majority of fires that have started in Okmulgee County recently are due to controlled burns that got out of control…