Mid-afternoon Tuesday, the Watonga Fire Department was called out to a fire at the former Holly-Tex Carpet Mill on Russworm Avenue. They arrived on scene to find a brush pile engulfed in flames. Normally a brush fire isn’t news, but the high winds on Tuesday meant the flames could easily have crossed a fenceline and jumped to tinder-dry grass along the highway. The National Weather Sevice noted winds of 25-35 miles per hour with gusts up to 55.
The early discovery of the fire, which had unknown origins and quick response of the firefighters quickly extinguished the flanes and saturated the area.