Wildfires throughout Lincoln County last week scorched thousands of acres and several structures but no injuries have been reported.
Charlotte Brown, Lincoln County Emergency Management director, noted, “In the last 10 days we’ve had 10 plus fires in Lincoln County. We lost two homes that were inhabited and two more that were not.
“The Southwest Fire alone burned more than 1,110 acres,” she said, adding, “that’s the fire where we lost the structures.”
Brown said, “There were 12 to 13 county fire departments which battled the large wildfire including the Pottawatomie County Wildland Task Force, Lincoln County Emergency Management and Pottawatomie County Emergency Management, our Special Operations team with the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, the Sac and Fox Nation Police Department and Shawnee SWAT.”
She stressed, “Last Tuesday (Oct. 29), was the worst day.”
She mentioned that a wildfire broke out north of the Turner Turnpike at mile marker 152 and she requested law enforcement go to the neighborhood nearest the fire north of the turnpike to warn homeowners there.
District 3 County Commissioner Lee Doolen assisted with the Southwest fire with a dozer and road grader and the following day District 2 Commissioner Marlon Miller checked on firefighters as they were putting out hot spots.
Brown said last Wednesday night’s rain, which reportedly brought from a half inch to an inch of rain in areas across the county also forced her office to move to the severe weather mode.
“We need a certain amount of rain,” she thinks, saying, “more than three or four inches would be great.”
She explained the rain the county received last Wednesday night, caused some areas to be muddy, but not so to prevent the fire trucks being able to maneuver and go where needed.
“The vegetation is so dry,” she said.
Brown encouraged people who have smoke from a controlled burn or see smoke to notify 911. “That way we know where our starting point needs to be,” she continued.
Asked about any burn ban being put in place for Lincoln County, Brown said, “That’s a question for the fire chiefs and the county commissioners. It’s the county commissioners who decide that,” she emphasized.
“I’m for the need to know on any burn ban,” Brown related.
While all of the fire departments and her office staff are exhausted, Brown assured citizens, “but we know our jobs and we’ll be there any time we’re needed,” she said of the 18 fire departments in the county,