Firefighters from several Pontotoc County departments arrived in northwest Oklahoma Tuesday night. They were scheduled to be away from the county for about 24 hours.
“They went on shift at seven o’clock this morning,” Pontotoc County Emergency Management Director Chad Letellier said Wednesday. “They were at staging around 6 a.m. and had their briefing at 6:30 a.m., and then went on duty at 7 a.m.”
Letellier said the firefighters would be off duty sometime Wednesday evening (after The Ada News’ press time).
“We will either bring them home at that time — trucks and all — or, we will send up a second crew to man the trucks that are already there,” Letellier said.
Firefighters have been battling three huge fires — the Selman Fire, the 283 Fire and the Starbuck Fire. The Selman Fire was burning across northern portions of Woodward County and southeastern portions of Harper County. The Starbuck Fire is the largest of the three and has consumed hundreds of thousands of acres in Oklahoma and Kansas.
The 283 Fire was burning up southwestern Harper County and was the fire in which the Pontotoc County Wildland Fire Task Force was deployed.
By 8 p.m. Tuesday, all three fires had consumed 833,941 acres, with 342,237 acres being in Oklahoma.
The task force consisted of three firefighters from Byng, three from Stonewall and two each from Fittstown, Vanoss and Homer.
“On behalf of our entire county, I would like to say thank you to the fire departments that agreed to send men and equipment up to assist on the Woodward complex of fires,” Letellier said Wednesday. “I would especially like to say thank you to the firemen that volunteered to drive four hours (Tuesday) night and now will be on the fire line all day on their own time to assist others in need. It was a special group of guys that we sent last night, and they will do a great job today (Wednesday).”
On Wednesday morning, Oklahoma Forestry Services issued a fire situation report which said the 283 Fire had consumed 71,168 acres and there was 0 percent containment. The fire was burning near the communities of Rosston, Laverne and May.
“No estimate on residences or secondary structures lost. Damage assessments are ongoing,” the report said.
The state office of emergency management requested the assistance of the Pontotoc County task force.
The Enid News and Eagle reported that Harper County Emergency Management officials said a 63-year-old woman died last Monday of an apparent heart attack while battling fire.
The News and Eagle reported, “At least two houses and likely more were lost in the blaze near Laverne. Likely more than 100 cattle just north of Laverne were either injured or killed in the blaze, said Woodward County Emergency Manager Matt Lehenbauer. In Laverne, firefighters and county workers managed to halt the fire near the north edge of the town. Some power poles were burned at ground level and snapped off, shutting off power to some of Laverne as well as some homes outside of Laverne.”
Another red flag warning was issued Wednesday for many Oklahoma counties, including two that border Pontotoc County: Alfalfa, Beckham, Blaine, Caddo, Canadian, Cleveland, Craig, Creek, Custer, Dewey, Ellis, Garfield, Grady, Grant, Harper, Kay, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan, Major, McClain, Noble, Nowata, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Osage, Ottawa, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, Rogers, Seminole, Tulsa, Washington, Washita, Woods and Woodward.
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