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Flames burn Thursday afternoon on 250 acres west of Keene along CR 700 and Burgess Road. Firefighters from 14 departments responded to the fire that did not destroy any residences but did destroy three barns.
Discarded glass bottles may have acted as a magnifying glass to ignite a grass fire that burned 250 acres Thursday afternoon between Keene and Cleburne north of U.S. Highway 67 Bypass.
Keene Fire Rescue responded to a call at 2:41 p.m. about a grass fire on CR 700, initally thought to be inside Keene's emergency service district. As drought conditions and a slight breeze quickly spread the fire, KFR Chief Matt Gillin called for assistance.
“It was difficult at first because it got big so fast,” Gillin said.
Firefighters from 10 other Johnson County fire departments, the Emergency Services District and three Tarrant County departments responded, including a mobile command station provided by Burleson Fire Department.
Gillin was forced to call for assistance from outside the county because some local departments were responding to other grass fires in the county, he said.
The fire moved north to Burgess Road, said Gillin, who commanded the efforts of about 30 firefighters representing departments from Alvarado, Blue Water Oaks, Bono, Briaroaks, Burleson, Cleburne, Crowley, Edgecliff Village, Everman, Grandview, Joshua, Lillian, Rendon and the Emergency Services District. The fire was bordered by CR 801 to the east and the railroad tracks along U.S. Highway 174 to the west. The fire was under control at 5:36 p.m., Gillin said.
Discarded glass bottles found in a ditch at the site where the fire started may have acted as a magnifying glass to
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ignite the fire, Gillin said.
"However, I tend to believe a passing motorist tossed out a cigarette," Gillin said.
Three barns were destroyed, but no residences, although there were several close calls with mobile homes on Burgess Road, Gillin said.
“Multiple gas well sites were in danger but not damaged,” Gillin said.
Firefighters remained on the perimeter to check for hot spots until about 9:30 p.m., Gillin said.
Late in the incident, it was determined the fire occurred inside the Cleburne city limits, so Gillin turned over the command to Cleburne, he said.