Rogers County Firefighters Busy Battling Wildfires

Tuesday was a busy day for firefighters across the state. 

Firefighters in Northwest Rogers County say they’ve been out to nearly a dozen grass fires this week, and an average fire burns about 30 acres of land.

Moving into Spring is the time of year when firefighters say they are preparing to battle and contain grass fires.

“We’ve seen ‘em go as far as 2 to 3 miles long before we can get a stop on ‘em,” Lieutenant Josh Copeland said. 

He says firefighters at the Northwest Rogers County Fire Department are familiar with the increased risk and cover the largest portion of the county.

“Some days, on high fire danger days, we’ll do mandatory call backs where guys are available to help out and it stays pretty busy,” Copeland said. 

Recent dry conditions and strong winds are increasing the risks of fires starting and spreading across Green Country. 

Copeland says that’s why it’s important to pay attention to all fire advisories.

“We try to get people to notify us of any kind of burn ahead of time so we can preplan and have a plan of attack for these types of incidents,” Copeland said. 

He says a Red Flag Advisory is different from a burn ban and restrictions could vary across the state.

To learn what restrictions are in place, Copeland recommends calling a local control burn line.

“The dispatch people can guide you on what’s legal, what’s not legal, what you’re allowed to do and what you’re not allowed to do. That way, it saves a lot of people heartache and you’re on the right track,” Copeland said. 

As these fires continue to spark up throughout Green Country, firefighters urge everyone to prioritize safety and take proactive measures to prevent accidental fires.

Up-to-date information about active, contained, and extinguished fires from the Fire Weather & Avalanche Center can be found here.