For about five hours Sunday in 105 degree heat, firefighters fought a brushfire that started at the end of Wilhite Lane in the Little Cypress area. With dry conditions and a steady wind, some 40 acres were charred before firefighters got the upper hand.
Homes and life were spared because of the efforts OCESD3, NCESD1, OCESD4, OCESD2, Capt. Joey Jacobs and the OCSO Drone, Acadian Ambulance, Emergency Mgmt. and the Texas Forestry Service that provided ground and air support.
With a southeast wind the blaze started to spread through the woods and towards the backside of the Country Squire neighborhood. Besides the efforts of the firefighters, a pipeline cut and a change in the wind helped slow the fire down so they could get it under control.
The exact cause of the fire is being investigated. Where the fire started was fueled by a lot of scrap wood and piles of trash and debris that included a small wooden barn. Orange County has been under a Burn Ban order since July 28.
-Gary Stelly, KOGT-
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