A brush pile that had been burned days earlier reignited in high winds and sparked a grass fire that scorched an estimated 40 to 60 acres near East 126th Street North and North Memorial Drive on Tuesday, Aug. 11, burning through dozens of hay bales and sending smoke across nearby roadways.
The fire broke out around 4:05 p.m. in a rural stretch between Owasso and Collinsville, according to FOX23, which had a crew on scene. Officials told the station that wind carried embers from a brush pile burned the previous Saturday, igniting the surrounding grass and spreading to approximately 50 to 60 hay bales.
Both the Owasso Fire Department and the Collinsville Rural Fire Department responded to the blaze, the Owasso Police Department confirmed in a Facebook post.
No one was hurt. Firefighters brought the fire under control, Owasso Police said. News On 6 also confirmed no injuries were reported.
While the fire burned, thick smoke reduced visibility on roadways near the intersection, and the Owasso Police Department urged drivers to avoid the area entirely. No formal road closures were announced, but the department's alert warned that conditions were hazardous for motorists.
The 126th and Memorial corridor borders open agricultural land alongside residential development between Owasso and Collinsville, and the mix of hay bales and dry grass provided fuel once winds picked up.
No follow-up investigation or additional cause determination beyond the wind-reignited brush pile has been announced.
