Multiple Departments Fight Grass Fires Near Kellyville

Firefighters are still working tonight to put out fires in the Kellyville area.

So far, one barn has been lost.

Fire crews say they expect to be in the area for part of the night. Crews have been working two different fires, one a few feet up into the woods and another about 15 miles Northwest of the area.

The challenge for firefighters is this gusty wind.

Two different fires lit up parts of Creek County Tuesday. One near the turnpike burned about 150 acres and another near West 191st Street South, which scorched about 600 acres.

Kevin White lives just feet away from where one of the fires was burning.

"The fire was coming up over the hill,” White recalled. “Had a lot of different local fire departments, different communities coming in and they are trying to put it out up there."

He says his neighbors alerted him that the fire was close to his home.

"We grabbed gunny sacks and shovels and everything else went up there and put some of the fire out, kept it away from these houses over here,” said White.

Fortunately, the wind shifted, moving the fire away from his property. But that wind also caused significant problems for first responders.

"The wind has been our biggest battle,” said Creek County Commissioner Newt Stephens. “Every time it comes out of the tree line, it hits the grass and it takes off.”

Firefighters were able to contain the fire near the turnpike. They also used a helicopter to douse the flames near West 191st Street South.

"They've got a 500-gallon basket on the bottom of it,” Stephens explained. “They got down, they get the water up [and] they'll take it to the fire.”

As firefighters continue to work, they're asking residents to stay alert and keep an eye out.

"Anywhere around here under these conditions, everybody should stay alert,” said Stephens.

Fire crews have set backfires.

They say this will help them get the fire under control.