Just one day after the Jenks fire chief said they would have to let the fire at Gem Dirt burn itself out, fire crews began work to extinguish it Tuesday.

On Monday, Fire Chief Greg Ostrum posted a letter explaining that more than a quarter of a million gallons of water had been used fighting the fire, which started on March 17th, but he said hot spots kept showing up.

As a result, the chief said they would take a defensive approach and let the fire burn itself out while making sure it did not spread.

By Tuesday morning, KRMG learned fire crews from multiple agencies and states were at Gem Dirt working to get the fire extinguished.

Jenks Mayor Cory Box told KRMG the city unofficially declared a health emergency Tuesday due to the smoke, but said an official state of emergency would be declared later in the day.

“The current threat is obviously the smoke and there’s many people that have compromised health whether it’s asthma or COPD.” Mayor Box told KRMG. “I’ve been out there twice in 24 hours and it’s not good.”

The Tulsa Area Emergency Management Agency said additional smoke would be kicked up as crews fight the fire, so they urged residents in the area, especially those with respiratory issues, to be prepared for additional smoke/dust and to stay indoors.

The Jenks Fire Department shared more information on their efforts on social media.

Developing story, stay with KRMG for updates