A number of homes were threatened by a grass fire that roared through a steep valley on the west side of Henryetta Wednesday afternoon.
The blaze was believed to have started along US 62 by either someone throwing out a cigarette or a chain dragging behind a vehicle around 4:30 p.m.
"Because of the lack of rain, a lot of the brass and underbrush was tinder dry and caught fire easily," said fire chief David Bullard.
Even though the wind was not strong, the combination of the heat as well as terrain caused flames to reach several stories high. A thick pall of smoke covered the entire west side of town including the hospital.
"There were several houses that we had to protect but the fire never got close enough to cause any damage," Bullard said.
He credited the response from Dewar, Wilson and Plainview firefighters arriving to help Henryetta emergency units in keeping the homes and other buildings safe.
Bullard reminded everyone the county is still under a burn ban that prohibits any intentional fires. County commissioners will be reviewing the burn ban notice at their Monday meeting.