By GvilleTX Newsroom
A growing grass fire in Love County, Oklahoma, reported at about 80 acres, closed State Highway 32 near the Red River on Monday as crews from more than one county were called to the area. For Gainesville and Cooke County readers, the closure sits just north of local farms, ranches and highways that remain under outdoor burn restrictions on the Texas side.
The Love County Sheriff's Office said the fire was near Grant Road and Highway 89 and told drivers to avoid the area and use another route. Fire Department Love County issued its own emergency message saying Highway 32 was shut down just west of Highway 89 because of the grass fire.
Love County officials said multiple agencies from multiple counties had been paged to help fight the fire.
Fire conditions on Monday left little room for mistakes around dry grass, hay and roadside growth. The National Weather Service forecast for Love County on Aug. 24 called for temperatures near 110 degrees, southwest winds of 5 to 10 mph with gusts up to 20 mph, and heat-index readings up to 111 early Monday night.
At the Burneyville Mesonet station in Love County, the 8:45 a.m. fire-danger reading was moderate, with 1-hour fuel moisture at 6% and a Keetch-Byram Drought Index of 700. Oklahoma Forestry Services says wildland fires can threaten lives, homes, communities, natural resources and cultural resources, and tells people outside its initial-attack areas to report fires to the nearest fire department or call 911.
The local concern reaches across the river. Texas A&M Forest Service listed Cooke, Grayson, Denton, Montague and Wise counties under outdoor burn bans in its Aug. 23 report. Cooke County Commissioners Court adopted a 90-day outdoor burn ban for unincorporated areas on Aug. 10; the county order says a violation can be handled as a Class C misdemeanor, with a fine of up to $500.
Love County has seen larger grass fires in recent months, according to official reports. Fire Department Love County reported that a November 2025 grass fire near Rubottom Road and Highway 32 burned about 400 to 500 acres. Oklahoma emergency managers reported fires or hotspots in 23 counties, including Love County, during a Feb. 18 wildfire event. Oklahoma Forestry Services reported that it was engaged with 20 wildfires statewide at 5 p.m. on Feb. 24.
Texas fire officials were tracking a broader run of wildfire calls as the Love County fire burned. Texas A&M Forest Service reported a statewide wildfire preparedness level of 3 on Aug. 24 and said it had received 40 wildfire assistance requests since Friday, covering roughly 2,700 acres.
National fire records put the country at preparedness level 5 on Aug. 24. The National Interagency Coordination Center's same situation report put the Southern Area at level 3 and listed a dozen uncontained large fires in that region.
_Editor's note: Everyone charged with a crime is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law._
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