'The fire kind of took them over.' Oklahoma fire death toll rises to 4 with more risky weather forecast

Yahoo

17-03-2025

As firefighters evacuated homes north of Chandler in the face of 20-foot-high flames, they saw a badly burned man walking toward them.
The man turned out to be Allen Ferguson, a well-respected youth wrestling coach in the area.
As they rushed to help him, he urged them to save his teenage son still trapped after their four-wheeler wrecked.
Ferguson, 54, would later die. His son, William Conley, 15, was rescued and is in critical condition in a hospital fighting for his life.
The coach was one of four people who died as wildfires swept the state Friday, an increase from the initial traffic-related fatality Gov. Kevin Stitt initially announced after surveying damage Saturday. Another 142 people were injured in the fire storms that destroyed nearly 300 structures, including more than 200 homes, and burned 179,000 acres.
The increased death toll comes as more extreme fire conditions and powerful winds are predicted for Tuesday and Wednesday.
Oklahoma's chief medical examiner, Dr. Eric Pfeifer, said three of the fatalities were from the fires and one was from a vehicle accident blamed on the high winds and blowing dust.
The fire deaths were in Lincoln, Haskell and Pawnee counties. The vehicle fatality was in Garfield County.
More: Four people died as a result of fires or high winds. Fire risk, strong winds return Monday and Tuesday.
The medical examiner said two more traffic fatalities may have been indirectly caused by the severe weather Friday. He said those deadly accidents occurred while trying to avoid fire emergency equipment.
Ferguson was being remembered as a hero who was helping others Friday. "His dedication to his family and our community will never be forgotten," said Rep. Jim Shaw, R-Chandler.
His wife, Deborah Ferguson, told Oklahoma City television station KWTV that they were fighting a fire in a pasture belonging to her grandmother.
She said they crashed into a tree because of the heavy smoke as they fled the fire.
Chandler Fire Chief Bobby Buchanan said Ferguson told firefighters his son was still trapped.
The fire chief said he understood from Ferguson that they had been fighting the fire themselves with friends and had an accident because of the smoke. "And the fire kind of took them over," Buchanan said.
"He told us about his son," the fire chief said. "And we were able to send a truck in to extricate his son ... trapped there with a four-wheeler.
"The fire was pretty heavy at that time. We're talking 20-foot flames," the chief said. "Both of them were ... able to walk and talk to us, but definitely severely burned."
In a Facebook post on Saturday, Chandler's Lion Wrestling Booster Club stated "Allen will be greatly missed."
"Will is hanging in strong but still fighting. Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers," the club stated.
A GoFundMe for the Ferguson family had raised over $56,000 as of Monday. Organizer Shane Earp said on Monday that Conley's condition had worsened.
"Keep the prayers coming! This dude is fighting!" he wrote.
Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce reported zero deaths and serious injuries, despite the fires causing substantial destruction. City Manager Brady Moore said that some firefighters working throughout the weekend tended to the homes of others while their own was burning.
The work of first responders and emergency management teams in Stillwater embodied 'the spirit of Stillwater Strong and the Oklahoma Standard,' as Mayor Joyce said in a statement.
'So many others, too, have gone to extraordinary lengths to help others during this difficult time: City employees, Payne County/state officials, neighbors with garden hoses, local restaurants, event organizers, and lots more,' Joyce said.
One of the largest sources of support came from Oklahoma State University. After the devastation, Saturday morning, the university opened its doors for victims, but even before that, one Stillwater victim said the university welcomed him on Friday night.
'I slept in my office in Gallagher-Iba Arena last night,' Jeremy Cook said on Saturday. 'The athletic department sent an email that said 'if you need to be here, be here. This is a safe haven.''
OSU utilized emergency response and transit teams to help execute the evacuations, which helped several families flee to safety. The Colvin Center Annex became a rescue spot for many students and employees in need.
'This immediate response exemplifies who we are as Cowboys — people who step up when our neighbors are in need,' interim President Jim Hess said in a statement.
When Cook reached his home on Saturday morning, he found help from fellow OSU graduates, Stillwater responders and people driving by who wanted to lend a hand.
'It doesn't get better than Oklahomans; It really doesn't. They're always there, and there is nobody better than Okies,' Cook said.
The Red Cross also helped administer a significant source of aid throughout the state. Working with Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief, the two groups gave out 125 meals to first responders in Leedey and 600 lunches and dinners in Stillwater.
"All areas east of 35, we're seeing losses of total homes," Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief Associate Director Ryan Deatherage said. "People have lost their homes. It's a trying time."
He added that some residents went on vacation for spring break and will come to find their homes damaged or destroyed.
The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning over the state early Monday morning. Tuesday is projected to hit highs of 79 to 90 degrees throughout Oklahoma's western and central parts.
Central Oklahoma will be under a Fire Weather Watch throughout Tuesday, causing "critical to extreme" fire risk levels throughout most of the state.
Relative humidity on Tuesday is expected to top off at 42%, a high for the week.
After Tuesday, though, the chances of fire danger will drop to "critical" levels or lower, with Thursday sandwiched between two "critical" levels and the weekend falling to "elevated risks."
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Death toll in Oklahoma wildfires now at 4; Red Flag Warning continues