By Pat Hammert/Staff Writer

The check is in the mail to Canadian County for fighting fires in Cedar Lake last spring.

Each of the three commission districts will be reimbursed separately by Federal Emergency Management Agency for a total of $15,684 for use of men and equipment to fight the fires that flared up through March and April.

During a severe drought, grass fires burned more than 2,500 acres of pastureland in the southwest corner of Canadian County. No one was injured in the flare-ups that law enforcement believes were intentionally set.

Commissioners commented at Monday’s weekly meeting that the suspected arson case hasn’t been resolved. El Reno Fire Department set up command posts at the fires but has not yet received reimbursement from FEMA. Several fire departments helped fight the fires including Cedar Lake volunteer firefighters.

Commission districts 1, 2, and 3 will share in the FEMA reimbursement, 75 percent of which is federal dollars and 12.5 percent state dollars. The county is responsible for the remaining costs each district was out for helping fight the fires. District 1 received $1,989, District 2 received $6,521 and District 3 received $7,174.

In other business, commissioners approved the final inspection on a new bridge over the North Canadian River, located 2.5 miles north and 1.6 miles east of Geary.

A contract was also approved with Fox and Dreschsler Inc. as engineer consultants on the quarter-mile of South Choctaw, or the “brick plant” road, a $341,000 industrial access road project under way.

District 2 Commissioner Don Young said the county has provided the dirt base work on the road. Asphalt will be laid in the latter part of the week or next week, he said.

Commissioners approved a contract with Medtox Laboratories for drug abuse screening services for the Children’s Justice Center.

In reports, Young said officials celebrated, but were saddened, last week when a new portion of state Highway 152 opened that at last connected Mustang to southwest Oklahoma City and beyond.

Shortly after state and local officials officially opened the road with fanfare, two people were killed on the highway in a traffic accident east of the county line intersection when a motorist ran a stop sign.