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TUESDAY, MAY 6, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
REGIONAL
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Oklahoma residents survey damage
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ASSOCIATED PRESS
Firefighters work to extinguish a flare up on Monday, May 5, 2014, in Guthrie, Okla. Gov. Mary Fallin has declared a state emergency across Oklahoma after several wildfires broke out across the state, including a blaze north of Oklahoma City that destroyed at least a half dozen homes and left one man dead.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
GUTHRIE, Okla.
Residents in an Oklahoma community where a wildfire killed one person, burned thousands of acres and destroyed at least six homes returned to survey the damage Monday as firefighters continued to battle the stubborn blaze.
Authorities said the man who died in the fire Sunday night had refused to leave his mobile home. Guthrie Fire Chief Eric Harlow said 37 firefighters have been treated for heat-related issues.
The fire has burned 3,000 to 3,500 acres, Harlow said. In all, at least 30 buildings have been destroyed including the six homes and that number may rise as officials evaluate the damage, he said.
The fire in Guthrie, about 35 miles north of Oklahoma City, went awry Sunday and swept through the parched countryside with wind gusts at 31 mph. Fire officials said Monday afternoon that the blaze was about 75 percent contained and they are investigating to determine whether any criminal conduct occurred when it was set. A burn ban was not in place at the time.
Officials also are assessing damage from some smaller wildfires in areas including Altus, Jennings, Seiling, Stillwater and Woodward.
Forecasters say the fire danger will get worse before it gets better, though, with the weather to stay hot and windy. Temperatures are to reach 100 on Tuesday with daytime wind gusts to steadily grow stronger.
The Department of Emergency Management said
Gov. Mary Fallin declared a state of emergency Monday for counties throughout Oklahoma and a burn ban for 36 counties mostly in western and south-central Oklahoma. Logan County, where the large wildfire started, is included in the ban.
"One thing I know about Oklahomans is we're strong.
Monday that a fire in Pawnee County jumped a fire line and was threatening 25 homes near Jennings. The occupants were evacuated, and members of 20 fire departments were on the scene.
A fire in rural Woodward County was two miles wide and eight miles long as it continued to burn Monday.
We're resilient," Fallin said after visiting with emergency management officials earlier in the day.
A pair of water-lifting helicopters was dispatched to the scene and Fallin said she had asked the federal government to arrange for a large air tanker to be sent in from Arizona.
About 1,000 people were evacuated from their homes on Sunday but many returned to the rural area Monday to survey the damage.
Rachel Hudson, 32, lost her home in the blaze. And around the time the fire arrived, her daughter Mariah was in a car accident. The teenager will need surgery.
"That was all going on at the same time our house was burning down," Hudson said by telephone as she sought shelter provided by the local American Red Cross. The home where she lived with her daughter, her ex-husband and her mother was not insured.
"I'm scared. I don't know what I'm going to do," she said, starting to cry. "We lost everything."
Three of Mariah's friends from school spent Monday picking through the rubble and salvaged some dishes, antiques, tools and knickknacks.
"We're just trying to help out as much as we can," Shelby
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Cremeens said.
Although Logan County did not have a burn ban in place Sunday when the blaze broke out, Oklahoma Forestry Services spokeswoman Hannah Anderson said conditions were ripe for a fire with a recent drought, high temperature readings and strong winds.
The same conditions were present Monday.
"We're just trying to put that thing out," Anderson said. "Weather always has an impact on fire behavior. With temperatures high and humidity so low, anything can spark a wildfire. We want the public to be vigilant: It's hot, it's dry and it's windy."
painting, practice a couple times with dry brushes for muscle memory and then paint the canvas.
"I can't tell you how much I'm mentally going through it," Wooton said. "If I'm walking on campus I'll have my song playing on repeat and just visualizing how I can do it, what I can do better and how I can do it quicker."
Her painting for the pageant will complement her platform, More Than What You See, which is an interest in the beauty myth, or what society sees as beautiful. For the element of surprise, Wooton didn't want to disclose any further information about her performance.
"They'll have to watch to find out," she said.
Juven Nava, co-director of Miss Augusta and Miss Butler County Pageants said he and Executive Director Larry Strong were nervous when Wooton said she wanted to perform speed painting for the pageant. Nava said he lost sleep over the idea.
"You've never seen a girl who speed paints as being the winner." Nava said.
But, after seeing pictures and videos of Wooton performing. Strong said he became convinced she could impress the crowd.
"She is confident and this is something she wants to do." Strong said. "If she enjoys it, she's going to do great on stage."
Edited by Callan Reilly
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