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Subscribe to RSSOver the weekend the fires that burned across the state damaged nearly 94,000 acres and on Monday a body was found in a Norman home. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.
Updated at 8:34 p.m. ET: Oklahoma firefighters on Monday battled flare-ups and hot spots across the state as medical officials tried to identify a body burned beyond recognition in a rural Norman home.
The Oklahoma medical examiner's office requested dental records to identify the body found Saturday, said spokesperson Amy Elliott.
Tina Frost, is overcome as she sifts through what is left of her Mannford home.
The area south of Oklahoma City had been evacuated after a wildfire erupted Friday, and some residents weren't allowed to return until Sunday.
About 7,900 acres burned and about 100 structures were lost in the Cleveland County fire including the Noble, Norman and Slaughterville areas, NBC station KFOR of Oklahoma City reported.
One fire chief reported the wildfires were so violent in the area that structures were “pretty much incinerated,” KFOR reported.
Jim Beckel / AP file
Victoria Landavazo holds her 1-year-old child, Axel, after arriving with other members of her family on Saturday to see for the first time what a wildfire had done to their home in Luther, Okla.
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Crews had battled 18 wildfires that hopscotched across Oklahoma since Friday, torching at least 121 structures and charring almost 94,000 acres amid a drought.
Fires left only ashes in some spots, while property just feet away looked remarkably untouched. In some cases, the flames shifted with the wind, while in others, streams or ponds forced a detour.
Keli Cain, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management, said all the fires were either under control or in "mop-up" stages early Monday afternoon. Mop-ups could go on for days, Cain said.
Tom Gilbert / AP file
Smoke covers Highway 48 on Saturday, east of Drumright, Okla.
Twelve fires, including "a couple of new ones," continued, Cain said.
"High heat, low humidity and very strong winds make it difficult for crews and easy for fires to spread," Cain said.
One, which threatened the small town of Luther over the weekend, is being investigated as a possible arson. Witnesses told Oklahoma County sheriff's deputies they saw a man throwing a lighted newspaper from a black Ford pickup, but no arrests have been made.
The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
Related:
- Cooler temps aid Oklahoma wildfire crews
- Towns' residents flee Oklahoma wildfires
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What kind of idjit purposely throws a lighted anything out of the window of a truck especially in this summer of extreme drought? Obviously, an evil idjit. I hope there is someone, somewhere that has the information necessary to lead authorities to this waste of skin.
Beyond being a troll, what purpose do you serve in life? There's air that you are consuming that can and should be used by intelligent life forms.
I'm afraid I have to agree with mygirl. This is not a political issue. People are loosing everything, a life was lost and all you can do is spout your hate-filled rhetoric about political crap. Keep trying Mr. Grinch, your heart will grow, if you try to have a little compassion for your fellowman.
AreuTeaTarded?
And how exactly do you figure that the Red Cross is going to insure YOUR money ONLY goes to liberals such as your self? Unlike you, the Red Cross does not discriminate due to race, color, creed, national origin, OR POLITICAL AFFILIATION. What fire department is liberal or conservative? When you call for help, do you tell the dispatcher to send only liberal police officers, fire fighters, or EMS personnel? This is not a liberal/conservative issue. It's an American issue. When the call for help comes into my department, we respond. My fire rescue personnel could care less what political party a person is.
Bill, he isnt giving any money...he used that as a prop in his diatribe.
Teatarded: the best place for hate filled posts is under the 'ignore' button.
Kornfed
I am a fire chief and am just sickened by these idiotic posts. They keep turning everything into a political issue. Someone dying in a fire that was possilby intentionally set as jack sh!t to do with politics. It is unsettling that people are so callous. Funny thing is, I have had several budget meeting with county commissioners. My largest budget cuts came when the commissioners court was led by a liberal democrat judge and 4 out of 6 commissioners were liberal democrats. We now have a conservative led commissioners court and county judge and my budget was increased by $15,000 per year. Not just my department but, the other 9 inside the county. Go figure!?!
Bill: Yes, it is sad that tragedy is used to further political ideology. I was told to consider the source and when the source is as angry and prejudiced as some of them appear, perhaps it is best to ignore them. There are many good people, caring people in the world. They are often outshouted by the others but when it comes down to the wire, the good people are the ones helping and the others, well, they keep shouting.
I am deeply saddened by this tragedy, living in Texas we saw the same things last year. Rather than sitting back and waiting for the government, neighbors and good people got together to help in any way they could. The good people pulled together. We took donations for the victims of the fires, put out broadcasts that we were setting up a donation station and the support was overwhelming. We had a trailer, a very large trailer that was full and more items left for another trailer full. People donated money, food, household goods and time. They took in livestock, families and gave succor wherever they could. Those are the people to thank and bless, the others can be ignored.
mygirl1
The great citizens from the Great State of Texas are the reason we are able to rebuild our trucks as we speak. ALL supplies we needed were donated. My department is in west Texas. We have gotten supplies from all over the state. I was absolutely overwhelmed by the generosity of people who had no idea who we were. It is because of people like you that make this job such a joy. Thank you for the support of fire departments and the citizens of this country.
Bill: Bless you and all the people that do the work you do. If you need more help, post a link so that people can know where to reach you and the folks fighting the OK fires/
mygirl1
Right now my dept. is dong fine on cash and resources due to folks like you. As far as the fire depts. in OK, I don't know who to contact. Best idea I can give is to contact the Oklahoma Dept. of Emergency Management. Or you can contact the Red Cross. There are so many fire depts. fighting these fires that it would be futile to try and pick one. But if there is one in particular that you would like to help, you can go to:http://www.firefightersonline.com/engine/v/oklahoma.asp. That is a directory for all F.D.'s on OK.
Bill- thank you for standing up for the Oklahomans. I am just a few miles from the wildfire here and yesterday stood 10 feet away from the flames. There are a lot of misconceptions. A lot of the US population just focuses on the OK government's political views and standings. The press is unbelievable. Not the Today show, but many other networks and websites. they make us out to be a bunch of political farmers. actually, half of our people aren't farmers and if people actually lived here, they'd know that we just want to be free Americans just like everyone else out there. Oklahomans really just want the hate to stop but our voices are stomped on by tabloids and what not. Im really saddened by the political and religious comments on here. I wish Americans could just look at us down here and realize that we're all Americans and at the end of the day we should all be in it together. I always wish that some kind of good can come out of things like this like maybe someday everyone will step back and realize that we should all just for once realize that this country would not exist without us all here. the comments on here have made me so sick. i have read numerous comments saying that they hope the whole place would burn down along with all of our people just because of political views and misconceptions.
Without Christ people are inherently evil and there is nothing good in them as Paul the Apostle wrote. When will people wake up to this overriding and hopeless fact. Man left to his own devices, which history bears out, will destroy, murder, kill and maim!
I know there has to be some religious site where you delusional flakes can post all the mindless bible thumping BS to your hearts content. Please spare the intelligent free thinking people of the world from your ignorant rants.
jdaniels1. Please spare the intelligent free thinking people of the world from your idea that you have the right to tell other people what they should or should not believe in. Who are you to say that believing in the Bible is wrong? You don't get to decide what people believe in and you have no right to say what they are allowed to post. If you don't like it, don't read it.
@ doc-1618686. Haven't Christians been killing Christians and non Christians before and after religion was invented? Didn't we (U.S.) drop two nukes on Japan killing hundreds of thousands civilian men, women and children? Aren't we currently in two wars and just itching to start another with Iran? Don't say that mankind is evil without Christ. We are evil with or without him so drop the religious crap already. Oh, and google the Mithras or watch the Zeitgeist video on youtube. You sheeple need to wake up.
And this has what to do with wildfires?
We dropped two nukes on Japan because Tito would not stop his BS. I just learned last week that the Japanese during WWII ate their POW's - cannibalism.
What's up Doc? Certainly not your IQ or sanity. Buddhists in general are some of the kindest and most peaceful people you would ever meet. And here's a newsflash: they don't believe in Christ.
I really feel for the people affected by these fires. When the Waldo fire was burning in Colorado, I could see the flames take out peoples homes and it was heart-breaking to see. Hoping and praying for changes in the weather so the drought stricken areas can have relief from such devastating fires. My thoughts are with those who have lost everything and my prayers and condolences to the family of the person lost to these fires. And to the person seen throwing lit newspapers out your window, I hope the guilt eats you alive while you rot in jail, when you get caught. For those who think it is foolish to pray for these people, you do as you please and I will do the same.
Where is the USJD where is FEMA
deputy dawg and hawt dog...to be politically correct...
In the Presidential election, Oklahomans will most likely give their electoral votes to Mitt Romney who earlier this year said "We don't need any more firefighters, cops or teachers." I don't know why.
Because a solid majority of Oklahomans are very ignorant and closed minded.
What your seeing in Okla is exactly what weve been seeing in Ca. for the last 6-7 years. The people that run our governments WANT THESE FIRES. They did the same thing here. They never put enough assets against the fires when they are small enough to contain. Any fire thats allowed to burn in these conditions WILL BECOME OUT OF CONTROL. The purpose of letting these fires burn is to burn off brush or fuel for fires before the BIG ONE COMES. If you had the ability to put it out theyd stop you from doing it. What is the big one? The passing of Planet X. it happens every 5500 years. The last time it caused Noahs flood. Fire from heaven will occur, small meteorites are already hitting earth. Do your own research. Dont trust the gov. they are lying to you.
Getcrazystaycrazy.WTF! You are ignorant as a box of hair.
Wow, getmad, you really need help.
I don't know what's worse, the political or the religeous posters. Wonder where they do it from, at work? On company time? And don't ask about me--It's my company and my time.
Don't need religious trolls, we need to catch the arsonist. I live in the area and have fires close by last year. Just smoke this time.
Glad you missed it George. I've been close a couple of times, enough to scare the hell out of me. I hear if Oklahoman's vote for Obama this election it's pretty much a lock to get more firefighters and maybe even never have another wild fire in the state. People on here say so anyway. So it must be right. Ya think?
Bryan' It ain't that I like the Repubs, I don't, but in good conscience I can't vote for Obama. Bad as the Repubs. are, Obama is a socialist. He will ruin businesses by taxing them even more--driving even more overseas. It's a myth that the rich don't pay taxes. It's a question of who'll do the least amount of harm.
As for funding of fire departments. Oklahoma is divided into 5 "Civilized Nations" Each is a seperate nation with it's own government. The fire was in the borders of the Cherokee Nation. They are into aero space, industries. oil, and control all of the water resources in Oklahoma--more shoreline than the Gulf of Mexico and east coast combined. And casinos. They can afford fire trucks--
Good grief folks, it has nothing to do with politics. More to do with dry pine and oak trees with no rain and wind speed
As a fire chief, I am amazed at how callous, and uncaring some people are. A person has died because of these fires and people are still spewing hatred. Fire fighters do not care what political affiliation someone is. When the fire call comes in, we respond. Period. We don't get on the radio and ask if they are liberal or conservative. WE DON'T CARE. We help anyone an everyone. We don't ask for anything in return for the help we provide. Could you imagine if the fire departments, police departments and EMS services offered assistance on political ideology? Liberal or conservative, libritarian or anarchist, all get the same amount of care and services from the first responders. White, black, brown, all get the same level of care.
To the fellow Americans effected by the OK wildfires, I hope all returns to tolerable level. Many people across the country feel for the loss you have endured. We love and care for our fellow citizens and people, may the many God's people believe in, bless you all and help w/ the healing process.
All gun nuts that look like this guy, report to your police station tomorrow for psyche evals, and bring your guns too in case you need to lose your 2nd amendment rights.
What was it Romney said after the Wisconsin recall vote "see we don't need more firefighters or police or teachers or gov workers..." he would rather hire contractors, pay them less and make you beg for services from Master Mitt while your house and town are burning down.
The firefighters did a stellar job here in Oklahoma. They are real heroes and real people. Our home was unfortunately lost due to the rapid speed of the fire. It was leaping up to a quarter mile at a time. You can view our personal story here
facebook. com/ oklahomawildfire is the link to see our story
Update
Okay try this facebook. com/pages/Oklahoma-Wildfire-Funding-Campaign/398263683573923