Wildfires

[barryrules]

Hope everyone is safe from all these wild fires in the state right now. Things are looking bad with so many large fires and deptarments spread out everywhere. They have close to 20 agencies fighting the fire here in Payne County. Hwy 51 and I35 are shut done due to fires.

The embers have sparked other fires, one just 2 miles from my house - thankfully the wind is blowing it away from my house. The smoke is so thick now that it smells like these fires are right in my yard. I am hoping that Lake McMurtry is good break and will keep the fire from actually getting to my house.

[76374_Poke]

Down here in west Texas we're facing the same things. The wind has been howling all afternoon, no measurable rain in several weeks, and it's in the
mid- upper 80's. There are several large grass fires to the north and west of us today. Our volunteer fire fighters have been working overtime the past week.
Please pray for rain. We have a good chance late Saturday/early Sunday. I hope it comes.

[AnniePokely]

We are having 50 MPH winds here right now. It sounds terrible


Scares me to death esp since my pastures were caught on fire once before from a cigarette butt. The pasture behind me lights up and I'm in trouble! Fire is my biggest nightmare.

[barryrules]

I just went out and wrote my phone number on the horse's hooves with a sharpie incase I've got to cut them loose so they can run from the fires. (Hopefully if I've got to leave I will have time to get them in the trailer) And I've got the dogs harnesses and leashes ready to go incase we've got to evacuate. The winds have just picked up again which makes me even more nervous.

I also saw where they have one at the OK/TX border near a school.

[AnniePokely]

I hope yours have better manners than mine. If it was truly important, and I needed to load mine ASAP, it would never happen. They'd hold out and make it as difficult as they could on me. I'd be better off going on ahead and cutting fence/opening gates.

The sharpie is a great idea. I have a white paint pen i keep inside the barn for the same reason. I couldn't care less about the barns, pastures and fence, i just care about the cattle and horses.

You be safe Jen! I'm thinking about you

[Ivan]

I could smell them yesterday.

[barryrules]

I hope yours have better manners than mine. If it was truly important, and I needed to load mine ASAP, it would never happen. They'd hold out and make it as difficult as they could on me. I'd be better off going on ahead and cutting fence/opening gates.



My mare pretty much loads herself, the other two - not so much, so it would probably be easier to open the gates. So far I am still safe, some guy from the city called to check on me after my husband, who is at work, called to ask him about the fires near us. He just wanted to make sure I was safe and give me an update on the fires - thought that was very sweet of him.

[AnniePokely]

Very sweet. How close are the fires?

[osupsycho]

There are close to 100 homes burned to the ground now in Midwest City. This is worse than most tornadoes...

[barryrules]

Well my husband stopped by for a break and while he was here some pumper trucks went flying north down our road. He hopped in his patrol car to follow them. He just sent me a message to say the are at Glencoe Rd. and Western - which is about 3 miles from our house. Also had a fire earlier at yost/sanger that is still smoldering and one at Glencoe and Country Club, not sure of the status of that one. However, the winds are supposed to change here in the next few hours which could cause the fires to come back this direction.

I'm more worried about the folks in Choctaw and Midwest City. It looks really bad down there, and there is a fire right next to Choctaw High School. They are saying it is worse than the May 3rd tornado in terms of damage.

[wood911]

I live on Anderson Road and I'm about 2 miles Northwest of one and 3 miles southeast of another. So far, the wind is blowing right for me. The fire trucks are running back and forth, probably getting water. I turned on my sprinklers to wet the yard but so far none of it has come this way. My nephew lives about 3 miles from here and he had to evacuate but he's OK so far.

[barryrules]

Stay safe 911, and if in doubt evacuate! I've now got one 1 mile west of my house, but it must not be too big as I can't see any glow (granted it's too dark to see any smoke plumes).

Do they have any idea what started any of these fires?

[FloridaPoke]

Completely helpless feeling. Very long time friend called needing bodies to help save his house. He had the tools and the water........just needed bodies and help. But by the time I got there (from downtown okc) the roadblocks prevented me from getting through. So I parked and ran. By the time I got there it was too late. We watched as his home went up in flames. Sick in the stomach from smoke, soot and heartache for him.

[wood911]

I don't have any idea, they usually blame it on smokers throwing cigarettes out but I doubt that they were all started that way if any were. It seems like this time of year any time the wind gets up fires break out all over the place.

[wood911]

Completely helpless feeling. Very long time friend called needing bodies to help save his house. He had the tools and the water........just needed bodies and help. But by the time I got there (from downtown okc) the roadblocks prevented me from getting through. So I parked and ran. By the time I got there it was too late. We watched as his home went up in flames. Sick in the stomach from smoke, soot and heartache for him.

That has to be a devastating feeling and his life isn't going to be normal for a very long time.

[BigBadBen]

I don't have any idea, they usually blame it on smokers throwing cigarettes out but I doubt that they were all started that way if any were. It seems like this time of year any time the wind gets up fires break out all over the place.


People that toss cig's out the window need to be shot. How many fires have been started this way? Its sickening. Use your freaking ashtrays people littering is bad enough, but causing fires is disgusting.

Driving HE Bailey turnpike every day, there are numerous burn patches along the way, that all started at the road way, no doubt caused by cigarettes.

Ugh....

[Go Pokes]

My brother saw lightning to the north of Stillwater late this afternoon. He thinks that may have started the fire off Sangre and Yost Rd. ... his house is nearby and we went up there to make sure everything was okay ... took some photos. It looked like napalm! Notice how big the fire is compared to the nearby telephone poles. With 60+ mph winds, it was pretty scary. Luckily for my bro and his neighbors, the fire stayed east of the road, although it blazed north in a hurry, jumping Glencoe Road ...

http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96408/photos/PHOTO_3252702_96408_7197424_main.jpg

http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96408/photos/PHOTO_3252615_96408_7197424_main.jpg

http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96408/photos/PHOTO_3252664_96408_7197424_main.jpg

http://media.kickstatic.com/kickapps/images/96408/photos/PHOTO_3252758_96408_7197424_main.jpg

[AnniePokely]

Oh man FP, that's just horrible. I'm really sorry to hear that... :-(

It's a miserable feeling waking up and seeing all the damage on tv. My heart hurts for all those people who lost their homes.

*Now a rant*
The freaking tv people talking about being first on the scene to interview folks as they go back to their homes that have burned. "Getting their reactions."

Are you freaking serious? These people have lost every single thing they own and you want to catch their reaction on camera? That sucks on more levels that I can mention. Scum sucking pigs.

I heard highline wires sparking from wind caused alot of the fires. I'm sure stupid people tossing cigs started some. That's what caused my fire two years ago. Some schmuck tossing one out driving by my land. The moron didn't even bother to think that there's livestock out there, and barns, and equipment.

I hope everyone here is ok.


Also, I guess Clinton firefighters fought quite a few fires here yesterday. It's a wonder it wasn't much worse. We had up to 74 MPH winds here.

[BigBadBen]

Sensationalism instead of journalism.

disgusting.

[kruxter]

The smoke remnants reached North Dallas/Plano yesterday. Got a hazy and we could smell it every where we went.

[snuffy]

MWC official: fire set intentionally
Posted by breakingnews
on April 10, 2009 at 3:42 pm
http://blog.newsok.com/breakingnews/2009/04/10/official-says-fire-set-on-purpose/
Jerry LojkaThe fire that destroyed 17 homes and damaged many more was intentionally set, Midwest City officials said this afternoon.

Jerry Lojka, Midwest City fire marshal, said investigators have determined the fire was set by an individual at SE 29 and Post Road on Thursday.

“We don’t have a suspect but we are in the process of interviewing potential witnesses,” Lojka said. ‘There were activities in the area at the time the fire was discovered. There were no accidental causes. They have all been eliminated.”

Lojka would not elaborate on the manner of the fire’s origin.

Lojka was careful to label the fire as intentionally set. He said it is not yet considered arson. An arson is a fire set with malice.

“We haven’t proven malice yet,” Lojka said.

- Robert Medley

[wood911]

I just drove passed the area on S Anderson between SE 119th and SE 149th, it is absolutely unbelieveable to see places where houses were and there is nothing but maybe the remains of a brick wall. NO house, no trees, nothing except a few burned out cars. I have never seen a burn off before and it was very soberiing. It is a shame that people may have lost their homes due to stupidity.

[Verb]

Everyone involved has my deepest sympathy. There are few worse feelings than being forced to leave your home and not knowing if anything will be there when you get back.

[BigBadBen]

In 2006, the fire that burned our property, including a couple well houses, trees, and other misc property, as well as burning several hundred acres and damaging surrounding properties, was set by ignorance.

One of our neighbors threw out fireplace ashes, thinking there were no embers. Well there was, and the wind was blowing over 30 MPH.

Ignorance caused a lot of damage that day.

[OSUchris]

All in OK, we are praying for you all, and I hope everyone made it out safely.

Is OK extremely dry right now? This seems like an odd time to have this scale of fires, but I guess 75+mph winds can encourage anything... Again, we hope everyone is well...

[AnniePokely]

Pouring rain in Clinton right now. Man, we need moisture something terribly out here.

[Roman Craig]

MWC official: fire set intentionally
Posted by breakingnews
on April 10, 2009 at 3:42 pm
http://blog.newsok.com/breakingnews/2009/04/10/official-says-fire-set-on-purpose/
Jerry LojkaThe fire that destroyed 17 homes and damaged many more was intentionally set, Midwest City officials said this afternoon.

Jerry Lojka, Midwest City fire marshal, said investigators have determined the fire was set by an individual at SE 29 and Post Road on Thursday.

“We don’t have a suspect but we are in the process of interviewing potential witnesses,” Lojka said. ‘There were activities in the area at the time the fire was discovered. There were no accidental causes. They have all been eliminated.”

Lojka would not elaborate on the manner of the fire’s origin.

Lojka was careful to label the fire as intentionally set. He said it is not yet considered arson. An arson is a fire set with malice.

“We haven’t proven malice yet,” Lojka said.

- Robert Medley


Meth Lab?

[76374_Poke]

We're thanking God for the 1.7 inches of rain we got this weekend. It has lowered our fire danger for awhile.

[BackHomePoke]

Heard today on the radio that a few kids around the Carl Albert school might be responsible for the fires there.