Authorities were hopeful they’ll have a wildfire that’s burned about 10,000 Blaine County acres contained by Tuesday evening.

“That’s what we are hoping for today if things go well here and conditions are right,” State Rep. Mike Dobrinski told The Times & Free Press early Tuesday morning.

Dobrinski (R-Okeene) has diligently worked with officials on the scene and communicated updates to the public since the fire started about four miles west of Hitchcock on Thursday evening.

“This has been very educational and humbling, but at the same time very impressive to see how people come together and make things happen,” Dobrinski said.

Multiple local fire departments fought the blaze through the night on Thursday. Oklahoma Forestry Services officials arrived on the scene Friday and began to coordinate additional efforts, which included getting approval for helicopter support from the Oklahoma National Guard.

The approval for that air support came Saturday morning and helicopters began dumping water that afternoon and into Sunday.

“After they arrived Saturday, we got things pretty well knocked down – not under control – but the situation improved quite a bit,” Dobrinski said.

Crews battled not only the fire, but the scathing Oklahoma heat that raced into the triple digits each day.

“I have a lot of respect for our volunteers,” Dobrinski said of the many local volunteer departments that have continued to fight the fire. “We’ve had paid professionals certainly show up and work, but the commitment of folks who are here because they want to be and wouldn’t be anywhere else is inspiring.”

The fire began on EW 720 Road and burned seven miles to the north. It crossed EW 660 about one mile east of Southard.

Crews started a back burn near EW 650 to keep the fire from going further north.

The fire’s west edge was State Highway 51A and has reached five miles east of there.

Tuesday’s efforts are to not only create a south boundary of the fire, but also to keep it from being able to spread into Roman Nose State Park.

“Yesterday they were cutting some lines with bulldozers and chainsaws and various types of equipment for what we hope will be the southern boundary,” Dobrinski said. “If things go well, they’ll be lighting that and the southerly breeze will push it north and burn into what has already burned.

“With that, we will have the whole perimeter burned.”

Dobrinski said that process was expected to begin around 10 a.m. if conditions allowed.

If there’s a silver lining, Dobrinski said, it’s that nobody has lost a home in this process.

Two unoccupied dwellings and various outbuildings have burned, but nothing that has forced any of his constituents to lose a home.

A wind shift on Sunday did require the shutdown of S.H. 51A south of Southard and forced the evacuation of some homes.

“Our guys fought very hard to protect about a half-dozen homes and did a great job,” Dobrinski said.

He added that the local volunteers and departments were sent home on Monday as task forces were on hand to provide them some rest.

However, said Dobrinski, he knows they’ll soon be back to work.

“It always starts with the local guys,” Dobrinski said. “And then when all the hullabaloo is over and it’s not news anymore and everyone goes home, the locals are there to finish up and clean up, too.”

Meanwhile, Dobrinski said, authorities are beginning to investigate the cause of the fire.

“The (Blaine County) sheriff’s department and fire marshal arrived on the scene yesterday and are investigating,” Dobrinski said.

He also noted that around 8 p.m. Saturday, a fire was reported eight miles east of Okeene at the Cimarron River bridge on S.H. 51. Within an hour, he said, five more fires were reported in Blaine and Kingfisher counties.

“That was very troubling to authorities,” Dobrinski said. “And they are all being investigated.”