Firefighters Battle Large Wildfire In Osage County

A large wildfire was burning in Osage County, stretching across 300 acres. Crews said the fire started in the afternoon on March 16 and quickly got out of control, catching the side of a garage on fire. It then started to spread across the county.

Firefighters were putting out pockets of fire, with ground crews stationed throughout the several mile stretch. The fire captain said strong winds fueled the flames.

They also had air support, with crop dusters conducting multiple drops of fire retardant. The retardant painted the trees red, keeping the fire from spreading and slowing the burn.

Pilot Chris Daniell said these planes are good for squeezing into tight areas and flying close to each other. He said there is a risk to what he does, but they do take safety seriously and try not to fly through smoke.

"I love it. This is, when I got into pursuing aviation for a career this is exactly what I wanted to do! I wanted to fly these exact airplanes and work towards doing that. Had a lot of help along the way that I'll always be appreciative for," said Chris Daniell, Pilot for costal air strike.

Firefighters said there's no threat to homeowners right now and no loss of any buildings at this time.