High winds stir up dust, fan grass fires in Oklahoma

No one was injured and no structures were lost, Norman Deputy Fire Chief Jim Bailey said.

The fire started about 2:15 p.m. and was contained by about 4:45 p.m., he said.

About 100 people were evacuated from the Turtle Creek Mobile Home Park while firefighters from Norman, Moore, Newcastle and Goldsby extinguished the blaze. Evacuees were allowed to return home by 5 p.m.

“It fire burned about 40 acres of heavily-wooded area,” Bailey said. “The wind is a significant factor. I think we had sustained winds of about 15 mph but gusts of about 45 miles per hour. That certainly causes a problem,” Bailey said.

Norman firefighters were to remain on the scene for hours to extinguish hot spots, he said.

Meanwhile, firefighters battled a five-acre grass fire southwest of Chandler that started about 3:15 p.m. It took crews about two hours to extinguish the blaze.