Green Country Firefighters Back Home After Battling Fires In Western OK

Thirty members of the Tulsa County Wildfire Task Force are back home after being deployed to help with the massive wildfires in western Oklahoma.

The firefighters say the devastation they saw was unimaginable.

Although there’s still much to be done, they say they’re grateful they had the opportunity to help.

“Seeing the community that was truly appreciative of our help, it was amazing,” said Captain Jarrod Linthicun from Owasso Fire Department.

Linthicun says he is happy to be home safely after two long days of battling raging wildfires that scorched more than 300,000 acres.

“We save a structure, we kept a home from burning, and we saw structures that were unfortunately consumed by the wildfire,” said Linthicun.

The task force deployed Saturday morning after they got a call for help from Oklahoma Forestry Service.

4/14/2018 Related Story:  Oklahoma Wildfires Burn 200,000 Acres, 1,400 People Forced From Their Homes

The task force includes firefighters from around Green Country, including Tulsa, Owasso, Glenpool, and Broken Arrow.

“When the call came in from the state, they requested our group to send some firefighters and the equipment, so we got together,” said Captain Stan May from Tulsa Fire Department.

May says that fires spread quickly this time of year and the dry, rough terrain out west only serves as fuel.

“It’s very hot out there.  The humidity is low so the fire’s spreading really quickly,” stated May.

The wildfires have destroyed more than 32 homes so far.  Linthicun says the devastation he witnessed is life changing.

“To get the opportunity to go down there and help out a community in the capacity that we did, it was an amazing experience for everybody that was involved,” said Linthicun.

The firefighters say that no one on their team was injured fighting the fires and none of their equipment was lost damaged.