Fires Spread in Oklahoma

G U T H R I E, Okla., Sept. 21 -- Firefighters today slogged through heavy brushand thick smoke to battle a stubborn wildfire that has scorchednearly 40,000 acres.

Seventeen of more than 100 wildfires are still burning. At least 60 homes have been destroyed or damaged by the fires.

A half-dozen air tankers and eight helicopters from Oklahoma,Texas and Kansas ferried in tons of water, and weary crews gotrelief from 200 to 300 Forest Service firefighters from across theSouth.

“A lot of families are just devastated. I’ve dealt with a lotof fires but nothing this large,” said Pat Oliver, executivedirector of the Red Cross chapter in Logan County, about 50 milesnorth of Oklahoma City.

At least 31 homes were destroyed by wildfires that swept acrossLogan County on Tuesday, said Albert Ashwood, state director ofemergency management.

50 Dry Days

A grass fire along Interstate 35 in southern Oklahoma’s ruggedArbuckle Mountains forced the temporary closing of the southboundlanes north of Davis. Much of central Oklahoma has not seenmeasurable rainfall for more than 50 days, and gusty winds havehelped spread flames through the dry countryside.

Crews in orange trucks worked on gravel roads that snakedthrough thick woods to replace burned utility poles. Black patchesof burned earth cut across pastures and through woodland inseemingly random patterns.

The fire destroyed five of six buildings at the WoodlandsEquestrian Centre, including the home of owners David and LauraHarris.

“This is devastating,” David Harris said. The cross-countryequestrian courses at the center were also ruined.

Jack Carson, a spokesman for the state Department ofAgriculture, said investigators believe many of the fires have beencarelessly ignited by cigarettes, fireworks and other burning itemsthrown onto dry grass.

Dino Rubbio’s house was left standing in the midst of charreddestruction.

“I don’t know how in the world that house got saved,” he said.“It had to be a miracle.”