Fire burns 90 acres near George

GEORGE - A fire possibly caused by harvesting equipment burned approximately 90 acres of wheat, cheat grass and sagebrush 10 miles southeast of George Wednesday night.

Grant County Fire District No. 3 was dispatched to the fire near Frenchman Hills Road and Road J.5 at about 5 p.m., Fire Chief Don Fortier said.

Firefighters discovered several obstacles upon their arrival. The terrain was a mixture of sandy surfaces, lakes, swampy patches and trees and there were no established roads leading to where the fire was burning, he said. Firefighters had to hike to reach some areas of the fire.

The fire was extinguished within 90 minutes and cleanup efforts were complete by 9 p.m., Fortier said.

Farm equipment including combines, trucks and tractors were at the site being used to harvest the wheat field, he said. It's possible a spark from one of the pieces of equipment started the fire.

The area burned by the fire consisted of 30 acres of wheat and 60 acres of cheat grass and sagebrush.

No structures were threatened and no injuries were reported, Fortier said.

Approximately 25 firefighters responded to the fire. The chief planned to send a crew back to the site to check the burned area to ensure the fire doesn't restart.