Okla. Firefighters Battle Unusual Highway Hay Fire

Oct. 06--PAULS VALLEY, Oklahoma -- A most unusual fire this week near Wynnewood brought first responders from all over and shut down highway traffic in a big way.

Firefighters from various area departments were called to help Tuesday when several bales of hay caught fire while being hauled on Interstate 35 a few miles south of Wynnewood.

"There were round bales of hay on the trailer," Pauls Valley Fire Chief Joe Eddy said.

"Every one of them were involved with the fire when we got there," he said. "We had to off-load them with a tractor and spread them out to put the fire out for each one."

Eddy said the belief is the cause of the fire came from the tractor part of the rig pulling the trailer.

"We think it came from a faulty muffler on his truck," Eddy said.

Local firefighters worked into the late afternoon while traffic in the southbound lanes of I-35 was detoured well into the evening hours.

Then came an unexpected call Wednesday afternoon for firefighters to return to the same scene because the hay bales had again caught on fire.

During Tuesday's event officials with the American Red Cross were called in to offer their support to firefighters at the scene.

"We were canteening out there providing firefighters with water and Gatorade and food," said Angielee Wright, disaster response specialist for Garvin and Pontotoc counties.

Wright said this and other fires serves as a kind of reminder that October is Fire Safety and Prevention Month.

According to Wright, Red Cross officials have already provided emergency assistance to 10 residents this month in central and western Oklahoma.

The American Red Cross is encouraging people to remember two key fire safety steps: installing smoke alarms and developing a fire escape plan.

"The Red Cross responded to more than 62,960 home fires in fiscal year 2011," Wright said.

"Fires strike suddenly and spread quickly. It's important to take simple steps now to protect the members of your household. During a fire, every second counts and being prepared can greatly reduce the effects of these devastating disasters."

It is recommended that people check each smoke alarm in their home by pushing the test button at least once a month and replacing batteries every year or as needed.