More Residents Evacuated As Logan Co. Grass Fire Rekindles

More residents in Logan County are being evacuated after a grass fire rekindled on Monday.

Firefighters continue to battle hot spots Monday morning after a large grass fire broke out near Guthrie, Sunday afternoon.

The grass fire sparked up around 4:30 p.m. Sunday in the area east of Interstate 35 near Forest Hill Dr. and Air Depot, as part of a controlled burn. There was not a burn ban in effect. The fire then burned northeast from Seward Rd. to Prairie Grove Rd., east of I-35 and west of Douglas Blvd.

Fire officials say there is no permitting process for a controlled burn in the rural areas.

Logan County authorities say an estimated 1,000 people were evacuated. Eric Harlow, Fire Chief of the Guthrie Fire Department, said at 6 a.m. that for the most part, firefighters have the fire under control, and that they have contained about 75 percent of the fire. Some residents are being allowed to go back into their homes.

Bob Mills SkyNews 9 HD flew over the area of Industrial and Post. As of 11:30 a.m. Monday, crews are still battling many hot spots in that area.

Several National Guard Black Hawk helicopters are also dropping water on the hot spots.

At about 12:30 p.m., News 9 Pilot Jim Gardner reports that residents living at Briarwood Lane and Post Road are being evacuated.

At about 1:30 p.m. Bob Mills SkyNews 9 HD flew over the area of Douglas and Camp where crews are trying to put out hot spots flare-ups. One structure was fully engulfed in flames, and has been destroyed.

At 2:12 p.m., SH74 between Industrial and Prairie Grove, Logan County, was shut down due to smoke blowing across roadway, according to the Oklahoma Highway Patrol. At about 3:05 p.m., the highway is back open.

As of 3 p.m., Chief Harlow said the grass fire has burned 3,000 to 3,500 acres.

Post, Douglas and Midwest are closed just south of Highway 105.

A 56-year-old man who reportedly refused to evacuate was found dead in his home. The family identifies him as Johnnie Ray Knox. A firefighter was treated for heat related issues, but wasn't taken to hospital. One resident was treated for smoke inhalation and minor burns.

According to EMS and EMSA, 36 patients were treated at the scene for minor issues including smoke in halation, fatigue, and heat exhaustion. No one had to be transported to the hospital.

5/4/2014 Related Story: One Dead After Controlled Burn Causes Large Wildfire In Logan County

About 150 firefighters from more than 40 fire agencies are currently assisting with the situation in Logan County.

Guthrie Fire Chief Eric Harlow says he can only confirm six occupied structures have burned. However, he says he believes many more homes and dozens of outbuildings have been destroyed. More crews from out of town are responding.

The First Assembly of God church, located at 1900 S. Division St. in Guthrie, is opening up to residents who need shelter and water. The Oklahoma Red Cross is operating out of Community Church, as a shelter on the northwest side of I-35 and Seward Rd.

The Oklahoma Insurance Commissioner has deployed anti-fraud unit and consumer assistance teams to help residents affected by Sunday's wildfires. They will have a booth setup on Monday at the Red Cross's command post.

This fire is just one of multiple grass fires burning around the state.

Woodward County Grass Fire

A large fire continues to burn in eastern Woodward County.

Emergency Management in Woodward County told News 9 that the fire is not currently threatening any structures, but it did burn some buildings on Sunday. 

The fire is just east of Mooreland near the town of Quinlan and many firefighters are still working to bring it under control.

Stay with News 9 and News9.com for updates.