Fortunately, fire crews have gotten a hold of a 50-acre wildfire that started to the south of El Reno, Oklahoma at Starland Ranch, LLC. Anneene Miller, an owner of Starland Ranch along with her husband, Jim Gustafson, told us on Wednesday that she is just thankful that all her animals are safe. The couple is known for breeding, raising, and showing high-quality horses on the quarter horse show circuit.
“I am just blessed because it could have been a lot worse, but at times, it was quite scary because the fire just started and spread so fast,” Miller recalled. “It was just a spark that got out of control. This incident was the scariest since the tornado in 2013 that destroyed part of our property. We just had to scramble and act fast before the fire spread.”
The fire destroyed multiple wooden pallets and torched 230 hay bales. Miller told us that a welder unintentionally started the blaze with a torch being used to repair a fence on the property.
“We lost the majority of our mare pastures, a good chunk of our hay fields burned, and we lost all of our premium Bermuda hay we raised,” Miller states. “It’s hard to see this all burn, but we are so lucky and happy that all the horses are okay, and the house, barn, and other structures were safe. Thank you to all the firefighters that came out to put the fire down and protect our horses and home, and thank you to those who helped and called to check on us and offer up hay.”
Miller adds, “Unfortunately things just happen, and you have no control over it. There was a fire truck that came, but we live in a very rural area and their tank eventually ran out of water. Many people don’t realize, but they often have to go back and forth to fill up their tank. We were very relieved that they were able to control the fire and keep it away from our barn, horses, and house.”
In closing, Anneene wanted to remind everyone “to be thankful every day because you never know what each new day will bring!”
View a slideshow of wildfire pictures courtesy of Starland Ranch, LLC
