Lightning sparks fire near Bridgeport

A late-afternoon thunderstorm sparked a grass fire that burned nearly 500 acres southwest of Bridgeport Thursday afternoon.

Bridgeport Volunteer Fire Department Chief Brad Mueller said the fire was about a mile west of Courthouse and Jail Rocks, and burned between 450 and 500 acres. Mueller said the fire started about 4:30 p.m., and it took crews about three hours to get it under control.

Mueller said the manpower was hampered by numerous false alarms that were called in, including smoke sightings north and west of Bridgeport.

In all, 40 firefighters from five departments battled the blaze, which burned only pastureland and no structures. Bayard, Dalton, Gurley, and Broadwater units assisted the Bridgeport department in extinguishing the fire.