Published: January 23, 2009 11:48 am      

Fires send county authorities into action

Multiple fires scorched hundred of acres Thursday afternoon on the eastern portion of Stephens County.

Doyle Volunteer Fire Chief Earl Henderson said that his department was called out to help Velma to fight a large grass fire near Baseline Road.

“We were then called to help out Ratliff City for a fire, but before we arrived, we were called back to Doyle for a fire,” Henderson said.

The fire in Doyle was on a ranch, and destroyed about 250 acres. It was of a suspicious nature, Henderson said. Firefighters were able to put the fire out at the ranch once the fire burned up to a pond, but not before, he said.

“Velma was still trying to put out some hot spots at Baseline Road when we were finished,” Henderson said.

“But they still sent a couple of trucks up to help us.”

Velma’s firefighters used the services of the Stephens County Incident Command Post, an SUV with multiple radios and communication equipment for coordination purposes.

Loco Volunteer Fire Chief Glen Knutson said that he brought up two brush trucks and five men to help Velma.

“Velma had lots of help,” Knutson said.

“It could have been a lot worse had they not had the manpower and coordinating capabilities.”

Knutson estimated that the fire on Baseline Road covered a length of three-quarter miles and a total of about 100 acres.

After helping Velma for a couple of hours, Loco was called to help out Fox-Graham, which is just inside Carter County, before returning home.

Stephens County Sheriff Wayne McKinney, who spent much of his time Thursday afternoon helping the firefighters, said that the fire in Velma is of a suspicious nature.

“It is under investigation,” McKinney said.

The Sheriff’s Department was also there in case it needed to forcibly evacuate anyone, which it did not need to Thursday.