Fire in the Wire

A downed power line sparked a grass and brush fire that caused a widespread power outage in West Plains Friday afternoon, confirmed the City of West Plains. First responders answered three separate fire calls in the two o'clock hour that afternoon throughout the area. Emergencies were thick on the ground as extremely dry conditions gave way to a field fire on West Highway 160 and County Road 6580 at 1:59 p.m. and then a fire at Cloud 9 on County Road 7910 at 2:16 p.m.

Almost simultaneously, the West Plains Fire Department responded to the fire at the West Plains Transfer Station on Old Airport Road. 

The power outage affected businesses all over the city. At 2:30 p.m., first responders learned an individual was stuck in an elevator at the Holiday Inn Express in the 1300 block of Preacher Roe Blvd. As crews worked to extinguish the blaze in 100-degree heat, nurses from Ozark Healthcare gathered to care for first responders. Approximately, XXX utility customers lost power, and the outage stretched from xxxxxxxx to xxxxxxxxx, confirmed the City of West Plains. There were no casualties or property damage. 

By 5:00 p.m., the fire was extinguished and most utility customers had power restored.