Fire burns 20 acres

Two large fires kept firefighters and Texas Forest Service personnel busy Saturday in Midland County.

While crews were fighting a 1,000-acre grassfire in Greenwood that was burning since Friday, a second one south of the Midland International Airport temporarily closed FM 1788 Saturday as air tankers and firefighters tried to put it out, Texas Forest Service spokesman Marq Webb said.

By Saturday evening though, the new 20-acre fire near 1788 and Interstate 20 was 85 percent contained while the Greenwood blaze was 95 percent contained.

The smaller fire was not near any homes but was in the middle of several oil pumps and near a major power line, he said. None of those structures were damaged by the evening. The Greenwood fire claimed two outbuildings and threatened 113 homes. No injuries were reported in either fire.

The forest service sent in four single-engine air tankers and an "eye in the sky" over the new fire, after using those for the larger fire along with several bulldozers. Firefighters from Midland County and an engine from Odessa joined them on the smaller fire.

Webb had no estimate on when either fire would be controlled, but said he expected they would be in a few days.