Grass fires along I-244 apparently caused by passing SUV
BY DAVID HARPER World Staff Writer
Thursday, January 17, 2013
A vehicle with mechanical problems is suspected of spawning multiple grass fires along Interstate 244 in Tulsa on Thursday evening.
Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Stan May said as many as seven grass fires were reported along a stretch of the highway from roughly Memorial Drive to Harvard Avenue after 7 p.m. Thursday.
Seven fire trucks responded to fight the fires, which were contained quickly, he said.
No accidents or injuries were attributed to the fires.
Tulsa police officers and Oklahoma Highway Patrol troopers also responded.
It was determined that a Ford Bronco that had stopped in the area around the First Street exit off I-244 apparently was the cause of the fires, May said.
The vehicle was generating excessive heat, possibly from a malfunctioning catalytic converter, which apparently sparked the blazes along the highway, he said.
