CACHE, Okla_Overnight
grassfires erupted across western Comanche
County and firefighters said
fireworks are to blame. Four fires burned in the Cache area alone. Crews had
just put out a fire near Crater Creek and Lee when an even bigger one broke out
around midnight near Airport Road
and Pecan.
That fire
burned about 80 acres before crews were able to put it out.
Firefighters said
these fires are a grim reminder of what can go wrong while popping fireworks.
These types of
fires are expected a few days before and after the 4th of July. People like to
go out on county roads and pop fireworks but are not looking closely at the
land they're on, how dry it is or if there are homes nearby. In today's dry
conditions it can be a recipe for disaster.
Flames billowed
about 30 feet in the air as they swept across 80 acres of land just outside of Cache.
Donna Cargill had front-row seats. She lives less than a mile down the road
from where the fire broke out, her son lives even closer.
"I looked
and thought ‘gee that looks close to his house.' He lives just below the hill. I
wanted to call him so they could get out and prepare. I knew we were a little
further away."
Cache Fire Chief
Dale Winham said crews had already battled grassfires caused by fireworks for a
few hours but this one was the largest by far.
"When we're
making the approach from several miles away we could see very large flames. We
knew we had a pretty active fire. The closer we got we confirmed we had a very
fast moving fire and very dry conditions."
Last night's
fires are a reminder of why people need to be careful when popping fireworks.
"I wish
that everybody would have a water extinguisher. I wish that people would be
really attentive to firecrackers, especially things that go up in the air and
down into an open field."
While it's not
illegal to pop fireworks because we are not under a burn ban this year,
firefighters said they can be a potential hazard. Those like Cargill who live
nearby these fires said in these extremely dry conditions, they are an accident
waiting to happen.
"I wish
they would ban them unless we've got a really wet year. I know its fun and they
can take precautions. but as you can see the grass is so high in the bar
ditches. "
Winham said anyone popping fireworks should take precautions to prevent a
fire from starting. He said if a fire does break out, you should try to put it
out quickly. He said it takes crews at least seven minutes to respond and in
that time the fire can spread rapidly.
Remnants of fireworks which sparked overnight fires.
