Fire Damage, Deaths Following OK Wildfires

From fox23.com:

On Sunday, Pawnee Co. area firefighters say a second man died of injuries he sustained as he tried to leave his home during the wildfire last week. The man in his 60s tripped on a rock and hit his head, and died over the weekend in a Tulsa hospital.

Also Sunday, firefighters responded to an arson about a half mile from where the original fire broke out. They have made an arrest.

Firefighters have also released a detailed report on structures destroyed in last Monday's blaze: Houses - 16, trailer homes - 29, garages - 9, motor homes - 2, travel trailers -7, shops - 26, sheds - 24, barns - 10, livestock trailer - 1, utility trailers - 4, more than 100 cars/trucks, boats - 10, tractors - 5.

Pawnee County damage assessments are adding up, close to $15M from the wildfires last week Emergency Management officials said Friday.

Read more HERE.

Firefighters Can't Campaign in Political Races, Tulsa (OK) Judge Rules

From www.kjrh.com:

A Tulsa judge agreed with the mayor when it comes to firefighters campaigning in political races.

The judge ruled firefighters do not have the right to participate.

The firefighter's union filed for an injunction that would have allowed them to campaign in elections while off-duty, saying it's part of their first amendment rights.

Read MORE.

More Briefings on Tulsa (OK) Firefighter Lawsuit over Political Campaigning

From the Tulsa World:

A federal judge has ordered further briefing in a lawsuit alleging that Mayor Dewey Bartlett violated the rights of Tulsa firefighters when he ordered them not to campaign in municipal elections.


U.S. District Judge Gregory Frizzell heard arguments Thursday regarding the firefighters' union's request for a preliminary injunction that would let them campaign in upcoming municipal elections.

The judge gave the parties until Tuesday to submit proposed findings to the court.

The lawsuit, filed by the Tulsa Fire Fighters Association Local 176 and four of its officials against the city and Bartlett, alleges that the mayor's order violates not only the U.S. Constitution but also the Oklahoma Constitution, at least two state laws and at least one city ordinance.

Tulsa Fire Capt. Chad Miller, the only witness called to the stand by either side, said that with primary elections set for Sept. 13, every day firefighters are not allowed to campaign on behalf of candidates they support "is a day we can't get back," he said.

Extreme Heat Takes its Toll on OK Firefighters

Nearly two dozen states are experiencing sweltering temperatures, many over the 100-degree mark, creating serious danger for firefighters and other outside workers. A story from Oklahoma serves as a reminder about operating in such temperatures:

If we think we have it bad in this heat, firefighters have it even worse.

Because of the heat, they're working in ten minute rotations at fire scene. They told News On 6 after the threat is over, that's when they really feel the heat.

"When it's over and done, you do feel the heat and realize you've been fighting the fire in 90 plus degree weather, high humidity's and with all the gear that we wear, you're keeping all of that heat in,"Tim Smallwood, with the Tulsa Fire Department, said.

Read more HERE.

OK Controlled Burn Takes Out Mobile Homes

From newsok.com:

Four mobile homes were destroyed by a grass fire — but only one that was occupied — Wednesday afternoon, officials said.

Wind caught the flames from a controlled burn and sent fire into a densely wooded area near SE 29 and Pottawatomie Road about 2 p.m., Harrah Assistant Fire Chief Neal Young said.

The Country Haven Mobile Home Park, 3701 Pottawatomie Road, was evacuated as flames encroached upon the park from the north, he said.

Four mobile homes were destroyed and about 100 acres of grass and brush scorched, but only one injury was reported, Young said. A firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion at the scene.

Read more and see a video and photos HERE.

Woman Killed, 2 Injured in Tulsa (OK) Warehouse Fire

A firefighter was also treated at the scene of this incident for heat exhaustion, according to the Tulsa World:

A woman was killed in a warehouse fire that sent two other people to a hospital suffering from smoke inhalation Tuesday night.


Tulsa Fire Department spokesman Tim Smallwood said the woman was found on the ground outside the building, which is on Trenton Avenue just north of Interstate 244, and that medics administered CPR before they took her to a hospital.

EMSA public information officer Chris Stevens said the woman was in critical condition when she was taken by ambulance to Hillcrest Medical Center. Smallwood said she was pronounced dead at the hospital.

The two other people went to a hospital on their own and told a fire investigator there that they had been in a vehicle outside the warehouse and got blocked in by firetrucks.

Read more HERE.

Huge Midwest Storm Leaves Trail of Death and Destruction

From CNN:

A powerful storm system pushed its way into the Southeast early Friday after tearing across the Plains, killing at least five people in Oklahoma and Arkansas, authorities said.

Severe weather including tornadoes will be a possibility across northern Mississippi and Alabama and into central Tennessee on Friday afternoon.

The storm system will then press forward into Georgia and the Carolinas overnight Friday and into Saturday morning. The forecast from the National Weather Service says the primary threat there will be damaging thunderstorm winds, but there also will be the possibility of isolated tornadoes.

Read more HERE.

Apparatus Woes Hinder OK Firefighters in Wildfire Fight

From www.kjrh.com in Oklahoma:

Wildfires are sweeping across Oklahoma, and volunteer firefighters are on the front lines trying to keep you safe.

In Osage County, firefighters are having issues getting to the fires. Some of their fire trucks are from the 1970's, and they keep breaking down. That's not getting firefighters to the scene any faster.

The fire trucks at the Green Country Volunteer Fire Department are running low on juice.

"The fire's coming at us and we're trying to get our trucks to work and they're just not working," said volunteer firefighter Blake Fredericksen. But replacing them isn't an option right now.

For more on this story, including video, CLICK HERE.

VFD in Oklahoma Needs Donations to Buy Fuel

The Keystone Volunteer Fire Department of Sand Springs, Oklahoma is in need of donations to buy fuel. Their usual surplus has been exhausted due to the current wildfire issues that affect their area and many counties in the state of Oklahoma. The amount of fuel that usually sustains this department for two months has been depleted in only two weeks according to reports from Fox 23 News in Tulsa. The Keystone Fire Department and its volunteer crew have been working continuously to fight the wildfires in their area and been available to support their fellow departments as these threats spread. Dry conditions and high winds make things difficult, but lack of fuel for their trucks and other departments could cause more problems if not addressed. The department receives an operational grant once a year and also depends on donations to survive. To donate funds and show support for this department, please call the Keystone Fire Department at 1-918-363-8261.