Fire burns near Penwell

Thursday's rains apparently were not enough to keep a fire from lighting up and growing just shy of 200 acres south of Penwell, Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Robin Bible said.

The fire burned 199 acres just off the shoulder of FM 1601, about five miles south of Interstate 20 north of the Ector-Crane border. Firefighters from Odessa, West Odessa, Crane, the Texas Forest Service and several tankers from private contractors headed off the sprawling blaze in the sandy grassland.

By 4 p.m., West Odessa volunteer fire chief Jimmy Ellis said they called for task forces from Fort Stockton and Midland to help put the fire down.

By press time, Bible said there wasn't an official estimate on how much of the fire was contained but they were making good progress on putting it out.

"It's pretty well contained. It's got lines around it," Bible said.

Odessa fire Capt. Mark Bailey at the scene said firefighters were attacking the southern part of the fire. Early in the afternoon the northern part was already under control.

The only structures near the fire were occasional pieces of oilfield equipment, but Bailey did not say they were in any danger. No injuries were reported.

The blaze started less than two days after a fire burned 250 acres about 10 miles to the west in Crane County. Robin said the two fires were not related. Though Wednesday night's fire was started by lightning, firefighters haven't determined the cause of the one that started Friday.