Firefighters Still Working Fires Across Oklahoma

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Firefighters caught no break as new grass fires continued to break out in parts of Oklahoma and others rekindled from days before.

At least 13 homes were destroyed in Edmond, while homes and outbuildings also were burned by fires elsewhere in eastern Oklahoma, authorities said. Some firefighters were treated for heat-related issues as temperatures again soared into the 100s, but no other injuries were reported.

“Right now, we’re in the recovery phase,” Edmond Assistant Fire Chief Tim Wheeler said. “We’re making sure the fire stays within the perimeter.”

Seven houses, six mobile homes and numerous barns and sheds were destroyed in the town, said Wheeler, who heads fire prevention for the department. Fire officials believe the blaze was a flare-up.

About 1,000 acres have been consumed in the Edmond fire.

Elsewhere in Oklahoma, the Oklahoma National Guard was making water drops on fires near Asher, Mannford and Cleveland, state Department of Emergency Management spokeswoman Michelann Ooten said.

Firefighters were still at the scene of the blaze near Oklahoma Highway 51, said Emergency medical responder Beverly Avey with the Keystone Fire Department said. Avey said some homes had been lost but she didn’t know how many.

The Asher fire has charred about 600 acres, Ooten said.

“I think the rain has possibly helped,” Ooten said of showers and storms that moved through the state early Sunday.

The fire near Mannford began on Saturday and had burned about 2,100 acres, she said.

“We’re concerned because there is a fire weather watch for a large number of counties,” she said. “Winds are supposed to be between 15 and 20 mph with possible gusts of 25 mph.”

“That’s been one of the ingredients that we haven’t had and, of course it’s not our friend.”

Cloud cover held temperatures in the 80s and 90s in parts of central Oklahoma on Sunday, allowing Edmond residents who lost their homes to sift through the rubble.

Stephen Bartram said he had just enough time to grab his wallet, cellphone and some money before he had to leave his home.

“You can’t really put it in words,” Bartram told KOCO-TV on Sunday. “I just heard a loud roar, looked out the back window and saw the flames at the fence line.”

In Mannford, resident Gina Davis said she watched the fire approach her home she had to leave Saturday afternoon.

“It’s the scariest thing I’ve ever drove through,” she told the Tulsa World. “Everything happened so fast.”

A combination of drought and excessive heat has left Oklahoma vulnerable to wildfires.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for at least 36 counties in the state.