Firefighters Put Out Grass Fire North Of Downtown Harrah

Firefighters have put out a grass fire that was burning in Harrah just east of Dobbs Road in between N.E. 50th Street and N.E. 63rd Street.

Pilot Jim Gardner flew over the scene in Bob Mills SkyNews 9 HD. He said it appeared the grass fire started when a resident was burning trash in barrels. Some embers hit the dry grass, and soon flames were raging out of control.

A grass fire burned through ten acres in Harrah just southeast of N.E. 63rd and Dobbs.

Neighbors in the area complain the same homeowner responsible for Monday afternoon's fire also started a fire last year.

Harrah Fire Chief Murrel Coleman says the homeowners were attempting to burn trash when an ember blew into the field behind their house. The flames ripped through the field along the property line damaging Mike Kupczwnski's fence.

"The same guy [has] done this a year ago. He acts like he don't care, and that ain't right," Kupczwnski said.

The homeowner refused to respond on camera but told News9 it was just an accident.

The flames threatened some structures in the area. Firefighters from Harrah, Hickory Hills, Spencer and Choctaw worked for more than an hour to knock down the fire.

Firefighters say there is no burn ban in place today so the homeowners are not facing any criminal charges. But Kupczwnski says he would like to see some punishment to keep them from doing it again.

"It's disrespectful. You know you gotta have brains on a day like this. You don't want to burn on a windy day like this. Just ain't got no brains," he said.