A home and outbuilding were saved Tuesday afternoon after a wildfire spread east of Highway E and near the end of Hayes Drive north of Houston, authorities said.
Large flames were rolling along the rugged hillside before firefighters from several departments contained it amid high winds and dry conditions. The county is under a Red Flag Alert by the National Weather Service.
Houston Rural Fire Department received the call and quickly asked for mutual aid from several partners, including Licking, Roby, Raymondville, Dent County, Rolla Rural, Doolittle (which was turned around before arriving) and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
“A pile of miscellaneous items was burning when we arrived,” said the rural fire department. “The wildfire was extending northward, due to the strong winds, from this pile.”
The Collins residence that sits along a hillside and a metal outbuilding were not damaged.
A further fire update: A second fire send the Houston Rural Fire Department to near U.S. 63/Highway E/Hayes Drive at about 6 p.m. Tuesday.