Two Firefighters Hurt As Large Home Burns In Rural Nowata County

A Nowata County family is clinging to what they have left after a fire ripped through their home Wednesday morning.

The family built the home near Oglesby and has lived there for 14 years.

There isn’t much left of the house; the heat and lack of a water supply made it a tough day for firefighters.

Just after 7 a.m., the homeowner smelled smoke in the bathroom then heard a crackling sound in the attic. She immediately ran outside and called 911.

"The first unit arrived on scene and it appeared the attic was fully involved at that point, so that was the reason we called for the additional resources," said Washington County Emergency Management Director Kary Cox.

The homeowner hoped the fire wouldn't spread from the attic but strong winds helped push the flames to the rest of the house.

Cox said eight different fire departments helped fight the fire.

"Our biggest challenge out here was actually water supply. Our closest good hydrant is about four miles away, so bringing water in up a very narrow single-lane driveway, that was our biggest challenge that we faced, especially with a fully-involved structure already," Cox said.

It took crews nearly five hours to get the fire under control.

Nearly everything was lost.

The heat took a toll on the crews; two firefighters went to the hospital. A Nowata firefighter overheated, and an Oglesby firefighter was hit by a piece of falling debris, Nowata Fire Department told  Bartlesville Radio. Neither injury is considered serious, NFD reports.

“That was the main causes, I believe today, of the firefighters that had to be transported. In this heat with all the gear they had on, it’s just watching the crews and making sure they stay hydrated,” Cox said.

The homeowners said they are trying to stay positive and recover anything they can.

It's still not clear how the fire started.

Before the family the built the house, they lived across the property in their shop. The homeowner said she is thankful they will still have a place to live.