| Updated: 6/29/2012 9:09 pm |
Published: 6/29/2012 8:14 pm
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Firefighters and equipment in Collinsville will be staying in Oklahoma, as will the men and woman who make up almost every fire company in the state. The Director of the Oklahoma Forestry Services says they're not heading to Colorado to fight wildfires there because the grass fire danger in Oklahoma is too great to send our resources elsewhere
As Tulsa looks west, toward raging fires in Colorado, some feel that there's no need to worry about major fires here.
“I doubt it would be that drastic here in this area because we're metropolitan,” Kenneth Elliott told FOX23.
Local fire fighters say grass fires can and will pop up across our region.
“Every year you worry about grass fires, and the heat is not helping out any,” Collinsville Fire Captain Dusty Danderson said.
In fact, this early heat wave could be a recipe for disaster.
“Around here it's a lot of grass land a lot of pasture land. Everything’s drying out right now, so it's just a matter of time,” Danderson said.
These fires are much more difficult to control and put out than a structure fire.
“To me, grass fires are usually a little more difficult because they're not contained within four walls.”
In Collinsville, they have specialized grass rigs to help put out the fires and don't think a quick rainstorm will help keep the flames at bay.
“Of course in Oklahoma you have the high winds, so as soon as it rains 20, 30 minutes an hour later, it's dry again.”
Danderson says departments like his need help from homeowners to make sure their lawns aren’t kindling for fast spreading grass fires. He says grass should be cut very shot, clippings should be disposed of in the trash, debris and tree limbs should be removed from the yard, and low hanging tree branches should be trimmed so that flames don’t catch on those smaller branches.
