EAST END, AR – A wildfire in East End is now 100-percent contained after burning more than one-hundred acres Saturday. Firefighters tell FOX16 about sixty people left their homes under a voluntary evacuation in Saline County’s East End Saturday afternoon, just in case the flames got close.
“It’s so dangerous right now just walking across the yard, you could kick and rock and cause a spark and start a fire,” says Chief Bob Franklin with the NE Saline County Fire Department.
Eighty-five firefighters from six departments and the Arkansas Forestry Commission battled the flames in Saline County Saturday afternoon trying to get the wildfire under control before it threatened homes in the rural East End community.
“The biggest challenge is the heat and the dry conditions that we’re under,” says Lt. Mike Frost with the Saline County Sheriff’s Department.
Before containing it, firefighters tell us flames jumped four roads and forced them to advise around sixty people to leave their homes, if they wanted to.
“It’s awful scary. We are prepared to evacuate if needed, so, but hopefully we’re praying that we don’t have to do that,” says Natasha Howard of nearby Hensley.
Luckily, no one got hurt, and the fire did not burn any buildings in these extreme conditions.
“We have got roughly the same conditions that they have right now in Colorado, only thing is we have higher humidities. I’ve been in the fire service 42 years and this is the second time I can recall this type of conditions,” said Franklin.
Firefighters still don’t know what caused this wildfire.
“It’s so dangerous right now just walking across the yard, you could kick and rock and cause a spark and start a fire,” says Chief Bob Franklin with the NE Saline County Fire Department.
Eighty-five firefighters from six departments and the Arkansas Forestry Commission battled the flames in Saline County Saturday afternoon trying to get the wildfire under control before it threatened homes in the rural East End community.
“The biggest challenge is the heat and the dry conditions that we’re under,” says Lt. Mike Frost with the Saline County Sheriff’s Department.
Before containing it, firefighters tell us flames jumped four roads and forced them to advise around sixty people to leave their homes, if they wanted to.
“It’s awful scary. We are prepared to evacuate if needed, so, but hopefully we’re praying that we don’t have to do that,” says Natasha Howard of nearby Hensley.
Luckily, no one got hurt, and the fire did not burn any buildings in these extreme conditions.
“We have got roughly the same conditions that they have right now in Colorado, only thing is we have higher humidities. I’ve been in the fire service 42 years and this is the second time I can recall this type of conditions,” said Franklin.
Firefighters still don’t know what caused this wildfire.