As residents in Oklahoma began to evaluate the extensive damage caused by wildfires across the state, warnings of heightened fire risk were issued by officials in both Oklahoma and Texas for the upcoming week.
“We’re heading back into a critical zone,” emphasized Keith Merckx, a spokesperson for Oklahoma Forestry Services, on Sunday.
Strong winds on Friday propelled wildfires throughout Oklahoma, with the state’s Department of Emergency Management reporting by Sunday evening that over 400 homes had suffered damage.
Officials also confirmed the tragic deaths of at least four individuals due to the severe weather conditions in Oklahoma.
Jeremy Cook, a resident of Stillwater, a city with a population of approximately 50,000 and located about 65 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, returned home Saturday morning to discover his house completely destroyed.
Cook described to The Oklahoman how his family fled on Friday, loading up three vehicles with photos, pets, books, and paintings before leaving.
He was left grappling with mixed emotions upon returning to find nothing but the foundation of his home, oscillating between laughter and tears.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce announced on Facebook Sunday night that at least 74 homes in and around the city had been obliterated by the wildfires.
Fire Chief Terry Essary detailed at a Saturday news conference how quickly the fires spread, exacerbated by high winds and low humidity, leading to challenges in containment efforts.
“There aren’t enough resources to combat fires when winds are gusting at 70 mph,” Essary explained. “It’s an overwhelming battle.”
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management confirmed on Sunday evening that the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner had recorded four fire-related fatalities across the state, with incidents in Lincoln, Garfield, Haskell, and Pawnee counties.
Limited details were provided for the deaths in Haskell and Pawnee counties, but spokesperson Keli Cain noted that the Garfield County individual perished in a vehicle accident due to limited visibility from dust or smoke.
Deborah Ferguson shared with News 9 that her husband, Allen Ferguson, had died in Lincoln County.
She recounted how her husband and 15-year-old son were battling a pasture wildfire on Friday and, while fleeing on a four-wheeler amid dense smoke, crashed into a tree. Her son sustained severe burns and is currently hospitalized.
Erin O’Connor from the Texas A&M Forest Service remarked that conditions on Friday were optimal for wildfires, characterized by high winds, dry environments, and abnormal temperatures.
However, with less wind on Sunday, crews managed to control the fires more effectively, though increased fire activity was anticipated for the coming week.
One of the foremost fires in Texas had scorched about 14 square miles near Fredericksburg, west of Austin, yet was 40% contained by Sunday, according to O’Connor.
Wind gusts in Texas and Oklahoma were so intense they toppled several tractor-trailers.
Authorities reported three fatalities in car accidents during dust storms, spurred by high winds in the Texas Panhandle on Friday.
After assessing the damage in Stillwater and Mannford, a community roughly 20 miles west of Tulsa, Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt proceeded to evaluate his own ranch near Oklahoma City.
His home there was completely devastated by the fire.
“We’ll rebuild alongside the people of Oklahoma,” Stitt declared in a video shared on social media. “You never anticipate it will happen to you, yet these wildfires arrive unexpectedly and can swiftly overwhelm.”
