Osage County Fire Burns For More Than 24 Hours, Comes Close To Barnsdall Ranch

BARSNDALL, Oklahoma – News on 6

Fire crews in Osage County are wrapping up work on a large grassfire west of Barnsdall that’s been burning for more than 24 hours.

On Barbara Long’s ranch in Osage County, flames could be seen from an out-of-control grassfire burning close to her home.

“You could see the smoke coming, the fire coming, but it didn’t take long before it was getting pretty close,” Long said.

She said her home wouldn’t be there if it weren’t for the brave firefighters working through the night.

“Then these guys came out, and they are miracle workers,” she said.

That’s why Barbara and her husband Merle passed out water and snacks to fire crews keeping the fire contained.

“If we can help them just a little bit, give them a little bit something to eat, little bit something to drink, man we’re all about that because if it hadn’t been for them, we wouldn’t have a place to stay tonight,” said Merle.

They said their home and cattle are safe, but the flames scorched about 300 acres of their grassland.

Ross Walker with Osage Nation Fire Management said the grassfire burned a little over 3,700 acres so far. He said it was started by an electrical line that snapped in high winds.

“With the condition yesterday, and the terrain and the winds 40 miles per hour plus, wind is going to dominate your fire behavior,” Walker said.

No homes were destroyed, but Walker said that wouldn’t have been possible if not for volunteers from several local fire departments.

“They don’t have to be here, but they are. I mean we couldn’t do it without the volunteers. This fire would have been triple the size if not more,” he said.

For Barbara, something good came out of the fire – a new baby calf born during the chaos.

“God’s still at work, and we’re thankful, very thankful,” she said.