Blowout sparks small SH 71 grass fire

BASTROP, Texas (KXAN) - Firefighters put out a blaze around 1 p.m. Thursday that started on State Highway 71 in the median.

The grass fire began around 12:45 p.m. on the highway heading westbound in Bastrop, Texas after a truck blew a tire. The truck was in the midst of being towed when the wheel came off and sparked flames on the side of the road.

What began as a small grass fire quickly spread alongside the highway, creating so much dark smoke that travelers in the area had a difficult time seeing past the spot.

The volunteer fire department put out the fire within 10 minutes of arriving before it got to a metal shed-type of a building that it was moving toward.

No one was hurt.