By BARBARA GREEN
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It was a brutal afternoon of firefighting last Friday as a fire that began near State Highway 101 and Fruitland Road swept across 230 acres threatening homes and burning many other structures.
Bowie and Sunset firefighters were called out to a fire reported in the 2500 block of Fruitland Road near the intersection of Fruitland and Hwy. 101 shortly before 2:30 p.m. Sheriff Marshall Thomas said it was his understanding the fire may have started where a welder was working on a front entry of a property in this area.
The sheriff and Chief Deputy Jack Lawson responded to the call for assistance and asked for other law enforcement to send officers if they were available. The sheriff’s deputies were attending a training on this afternoon and were out of pocket.
Thomas said Bowie Police and Department of Public Safety provided officers, the constables and game warden also helped.
Shortly before 3 p.m. officers began contacting area residents and encouraging them to evacuate. The specific directive came for all residents on Fruitland between Smyrna and Farm-to-Market Road 3043 (Brushy).
As the fire moved toward Brushy winds from the west and southwest were blowing toward the northeast leading to an evacuation notice to those on Orchard and Cole, which was closed at one point.

Read the full story in the mid-week Bowie News.