Published: March 06, 2009 11:33 pm         

Wildfire that forces residents from Taloga and Putnam is still burning, but under control

TALOGA ’ A grass fire that burned 60,000 acres in Dewey County still was burning Friday but is considered ’under control,’ said Woodward County Emergency Management Director Matt Lehenbauer.

The fire, which required the evacuation of the towns of Taloga and Putnam, was reported early Thursday afternoon.

’We stayed at our aunt’s in Sharon,’ said Nicole Pearson, an 11th-grader from Taloga. ’Some of (the evacuees) stayed at the old gym in Seiling, and I think some stayed at a church in Lenora.’

Pearson said she and her family were advised to leave their home early Thursday evening and were able to return Friday morning.

Lehenbauer said the fire started out as a controlled burn Wednesday afternoon that rekindled and got out of control.

By Thursday afternoon there were 500 personnel at the scene including firefighters, county employees, emergency management, American Red Cross members and members of Baptist Disaster Relief.

Lehenbauer said the National Guard also was helping to douse the blaze by dropping water from a Black Hawk helicopter.

There was only one confirmed injury, a firefighter who was treated for smoke inhalation and heat exhaustion. One home was destroyed, as were numerous other structures, such as barns, oil field equipment and cell phone towers, Lehenbauer said.

’There’s significant loss by ranchers,’ he said. ’We’re getting calls of numerous cattle that have been burned.’

Retired Taloga firefighter Larry Whetstone said area cattle owners do not have a definite count of cattle lost.

’The only ones I know of that made it are 16 or 18 (that) came up the road out of the fire, Whetstone said, ’and they were burnt on the back.’

He said he and some others helped keep the fire away from several homes.

’We were slapping with a whole bunch of bathroom towels out of a five-gallon bucket, trying to put out the grass,’ Whetstone said.

The fire quickly got out of hand Thursday, partially because of the wind, he said.

’The wind came from one way and then it came from another way,’ Whetstone said. ’It got too big too quick.’

The cost of fighting the fire was approximately $250,000 by Friday morning, but that cost is expected to rise as firefighters continue working to keep the fire under control.

’The most important thing is we want to get a handle on it before (today),’ Lehenbauer said.

The area is expected to be in ’extreme fire danger’ today.

’We are very concerned about (Saturday),’ he said. ’We expect it to rekindle.’

Firefighters are expected to remain on the scene for several days to keep an eye on the area.

’There will be personnel on the scene for quite some time,’ Lehenbauer said.

’It’s the worst (fire) I’ve ever seen in Dewey County,’ Whetstone said, ’the biggest, the longest and the worst.’

Gov. Brad Henry announced Friday the Federal Emergency Management Agency has authorized the use of federal funds to fight the fire.

FEMA funding is available to pay 75 percent of firefighting costs, including equipment use and supplies.

’Firefighters and other first-responders have done an incredible job battling the Taloga wildfire,’ Henry said in a press release. ’This aid will go a long way toward helping the agencies involved in battling the blaze.’

Several grass fires were reported in Garfield County Friday. County rural firefighters battled a grass and rubbish fire in the 2200 block of Knox Road Friday afternoon. Rural firefighters from several departments also battled a large grass fire east of Breckinridge Friday evening.