CHELSEA, Okla. — Rogers County companies are investigating a doable arson fireplace that burned lots of of acres of farmland over the weekend. And what was destroyed within the fires is costing native ranchers 1000’s of {dollars}.
It was a long weekend for fire crews in Rogers County as they battled a a number of hundred-acre grass fireplace just some miles east of Chelsea. That fireplace is now being investigated as arson, and native ranchers stated this fireplace has left many worried about how they’ll get by.
“I just happened to see a bunch of smoke and it getting bigger and heavier and thicker and I thought well I’m gonna go check this out and when I went to check it out it just happened to be my place,” stated rancher Kevin Rowley.
Rowley is a rancher in Chelsea. He stated when he noticed the smoke, he instantly considered his cattle because the flames crept nearer and nearer to his residence. But the cattle at the moment are the least of his worries.
“Ten acres was damaged. I had eight round bales, five-by-six bales that were burnt up,” he stated.
Another alleged arson value one other rancher in Nowata County practically 300 bales of hay, and with the already restricted quantity of hay due to the drought and every bale costing round $100 to exchange, this fireplace has value ranchers practically all the things.
“A lot of the farmers and ranchers that have cattle, they’re taking their cattle off to sale because they can’t afford to feed them,” Rowley said. “They can’t afford to buy the hay.”
He said he doesn’t understand why someone would do this.
“I’ve heard people have had just the round bales set on fire, not the fields, just their hay. I mean these people are messing with farmers’ and ranchers’ livelihood and it’s not good,” stated Rowley.
Rowley stated he hopes whoever precipitated the hearth over the weekend, is caught in addition to the perpetrator for the hearth final week in Nowata County. Rogers County Sheriff’s Office stated they’re working all angles to search out the individuals accountable. Chelsea Fire and a number of other different companies that responded to the fires are additionally assembly with commissioners to see if they’ll obtain some funding to assist.
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