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Roughly half of small Missouri town burned Saturday

Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022
Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022. Photo by Cooper County Fire Protection District

A wildfire burned about half of the small town of Wooldridge, Missouri Saturday. The fire started from a combine that was harvesting crops and spread into the town pushed by 25 to 35 mph winds with low relative humidity.

Authorities said 23 structures were destroyed or heavily damaged. No one was killed and one person was taken to a hospital for non-life-threatening injuries, but the entire town of 100 people had to be evacuated.

Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022
Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022. Photo by Cooper County Fire Protection District

The fire spread into land managed by Big Muddy Fish and Wildlife Refuge.

Interstate 70 was closed due to smoke for about two hours Saturday evening as the 3,000-acre fire was burning.

The Missouri Statewide Mutual Aid system was activated and more than 50 fire departments from  across the state responded.

Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022
Wooldridge Fire, October 22, 2022. Photo by Cooper County Fire Protection District

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