Garth Brooks Rescues Two From Fire

T U L S A, Okla., Oct. 22 -- Garth Brooks didn’t stand outside of thisfire.

The country superstar helped another man, who was not identified, evacuate two boys from their rural northeastern Oklahoma house, which stood in the path of a fast-moving, grass-fueled blaze Thursday afternoon.

Ryan Cooper, 14, and Randall Cooper, 10, were at home alone on aschool break when someone began beating on the door of theirwood-frame home in Collinsville, about 10 miles north of Tulsa.

“I opened the door and the guy said, ‘There’s a fire. You’ve got to get out,’ so I went out,” Randall told the Tulsa World. “The guy who turned out to be Garth was back behind him.”

Randall said he yelled for his brother to leave, but Ryan wasshowering and said he didn’t hear the warning until Brooks yelledup the stairs.

“He was yelling, ‘Ryan, Ryan!’ I was like, ‘Who are you,’ and he said, ‘Get in the truck.’”

Ryan said he didn’t immediately recognize the country star, butsaid Brooks drove him about 20 yards through dense smoke to aneighbor’s truck, where he joined his brother.

Fire Fast as a Bullet

Firefighters arrived in time to save the Coopers’ house. Scorchmarks from the fire stopped 2 feet from the house’s foundation.

“The fire came in like a bullet,” Randall said. “The flameswere taller than the house. You couldn’t see anything because thesmoke was so thick.”

The boys said they didn’t learn the identity of their rescueruntil they were told by a neighbor.

“You just got saved by Garth Brooks,” Ryan said the neighbortold them.

Brooks’ in-laws live within miles of the fire, and he reportedlyis building a new home nearby. The fire ended up scorching about600 acres, officials said.

Brooks apparently sought no recognition for his deed. A CapitolRecords spokeswoman said she had spoken to him Friday and that henever mentioned the fire.