Orland Fire Protection District Responds to Prairie Fire
The Orland Fire Protection District issued a Brush Fire Box call today at 1:30 to battle a fire located in a prairie near home on 151st Street between Wolf and Will Cook Roads today.
The cause of the fire was not identified but firefighters from the Orland Fire Protection District received support from five nearby fire districts to battle the prairie fire which threatened as many as a dozen homes.
Acting OFPD Fire Chief Raymond Kay said that there was a concern for many of the homes nearby because of floating embers that spread through the region during the fire which lasted about two hours before it was extinguished.
“We were very concerned about the safety of the nearby homes. That was our priority,” Kay said. “Our firefighters responded quickly and did a great job fighting this fire. Brush fires can be unpredictable and very dangerous. The embers from the fire raised a concern for the safety of the nearby homes, many of which had wooden roof shingles. We were able to contain the fire and put it out.”
Kay said it took about two hours to fully extinguish the brush fire. He said fighting a brush fire requires special equipment that allows firemen to get into the brush.
“We have the equipment but firefighters from neighboring districts joined us with their equipment and we quickly got the fire under control and then extinguished,” Kay said.
Kay said that traffic was stopped on the busy street for about one hour because heavy smoked made it difficult to see.
Photos attached show the intensity of the fires in the prairie. (Photo credits OFPD. www.OrlandFire.org)
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