Stillwater families try to find something to salvage in fire-ravaged homes
STILLWATER, Okla. (KFOR) – The City of Stillwater said more than 75 homes were destroyed during Friday's wildfire outbreak. Many of them were damaged in the connecting neighborhoods of Crosswinds and Pecan Hill.
'We sifted through things and everything that we found is damaged,' said Gayla Tierney, a homeowner who lost her home of five years.
She and her husband, Rick, went by their home on Monday for the final time. They made a promise to never go back.
'Hopefully we'll be able to find (a new home) quickly and move forward,' said Tierney.
A few doors down the street, the Cuellar family said it planned to rebuild their two-story home which was nothing but a pile of bricks now.'I'm grateful that the most important things were out of the house already,' said Jacob Cuellar, talking about his wife and two children. 'But to look back and see all of your life possessions are right there.'
Cuellar is a teacher and coach at Stillwater Junior High. He was emotional when talking about mementos that were now among the ashes of his home.'My team pictures of all the teams that I've coach that they were in there,' said Cuellar. 'Birthday presents from like my parents, they're gone.'
Luther family saved by Edmond Fire Crew #5
His father died in 2020. The gifts he gave Cuellar were irreplaceable.
Both families evacuated and watched their homes that were swallowed by flames through their security cameras.
The city opened the Stillwater Armory over the weekend. It has been used as a drop off and pick up location for donations for families impacted by the fires.'Many of these families are our friends,' said Brad Moore, Stillwater City Manager. 'I'm trying not to get emotional. These families are super close.'
He said the donations were what made Stillwater Strong. He said it was the community's way of helping families who were coping with a massive loss.
Some of the families KFOR spoke to said they have been able to find housing using AirBnB locations but will be displaced for several weeks in the coming months due to already planned events in Stillwater.
Many of the AirBnB reservations have already been secured for Cross Canadian Ragweed concerts in April and baseball weekends and graduations at Oklahoma State University in May. The impacted families said they would have to find a solution for those dates.Cullar said his home could be replaced but it was what happened inside the crumbled walls of his home that were priceless.'That's probably the hardest part. The memories,' said Cuellar.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
4 hours ago
- Yahoo
London is three-fourths finished with cleanup efforts after deadly tornado: Mayor
Video note: Despite this article's time stamp, the above video is the latest forecast from The Weather Authority. LONDON, Ky. (FOX 56) — It's been 25 days since London was hit with the unimaginable. In the late evening hours of May 16, a deadly and violent EF4 tornado touched down in the place that thousands call home. London is three-fourths finished with cleanup efforts after deadly tornado: Mayor 1 dead, 2 injured after crash in Adair County Off-duty Kentucky police officer charged with DUI in Hardin County 'I'd imagine it's going to take us years,' said City of London Mayor Randall Weddle. 'And I don't know that the scars will ever be healed.' More than 800 homes were impacted, and 19 people lost their lives. 'It's going to take some time. We lost some amazing people. Every individual we lost in this community hurts,' Weddle added. 'It's been a burden on this community that lost one so.' In those 25 days, it's been nonstop work, rebuilding the community one day at a time. 'We're over ¾ with cleanup, so if you go back out into the areas, we've done a tremendous amount of work out there, and it goes to the volunteers,' said Weddle. 'We've had over 2,000 volunteers and over 11,000 hours of manpower that's been out there the last several weeks.' The city has also established temporary storm shelters that will be activated in the event of inclement weather at the South Laurel High School gymnasium, the North Laurel High School gymnasium, the London Community Center, and London Elementary School (during town center events). Bill could make federal minimum wage $15: Kentucky among states paying less than that Kentucky sitting near bottom of rankings in environmental protection: Study Airbnb generates an estimated $590 million in Kentucky in 2024 'It's really important because when this stuff happens, you know there's going to be trauma from the memories of this happening, and we want to give them a safe place where they can come and be taken care of,' said Hobie Daugherty, public affairs officer with the London Police Department. Although the timeline for a full recovery looks like years, city leaders are reminding their community that they're not doing it alone. 'With this recent disaster, that seems to be the goal of the community itself—we take care of one another, and the love that's come out from everybody is just amazing,' Daugherty added. Weddle is also asking people to sign up with FEMA. They are set up at the Laurel County library. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Salvation Army and Fans 4 Oklahoma fan drive underway; here's how to help
OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) — The warm, even hot, temperatures are upon us, which means high heat is on the horizon. You can help people stay cool this season by taking part in the Salvation Army fan drive. Free Boat? All this mechanic had to do was bring it back from the bottom of Arcadia Lake KFOR has once again partnered with The Salvation Army to help provide relief for Oklahomans. To some, they're just box fans, but to others, they can be life-changing during the summer season. 'It does help those families who can't afford A/C, want to keep their electric bill down,' Salvation Army Social Services Manager Paul Durrett said. 'So, it does help those families, you know, kids, elders, and the vulnerable people.' Just last year, the Salvation Army says your donations ended up in the hands of 300 people who needed them. This is all part of the annual fan drive, and this year, they're already noticing a need for them earlier than usual. 'We started getting calls last month wondering where we're going to get fans,' Durrett said. You can help out people in need, and it starts at Westlake ACE Hardware locations across the city. 'We are allowing individuals to round up at the register, and all of those donations will come back to purchase box fans for the community members in need,' Salvation Army's Development and Marketing Manager Annie Perkins said. That event is going on until June 7. You can also buy a box fan and donate it to the Salvation Army facility off NW 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue. Another way to help is to drop a fan off at the upcoming fan drive with the Bricktown Rotary and KFOR . 'Which will be held at Rococo's on Western,' Perkins said. 'That'll be taking place on Monday, June 9th from 4-6:30 p.m.' Donations can also be made online. Durrett said every bit counts. 'There's a lot of people that want to donate either money, fans to this cause,' he said. 'So, it's big. It shows people helping people out.' The Salvation Army plans to hand fans out in mid-June while supplies last. If you need one, you can visit the Salvation Army facility off NW 10th Street and Pennsylvania Avenue on Tuesday's and Thursday's during regular business hours. You do have to show a valid I-D to receive one. Fans 4 Oklahoma Fan Drive Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
4Warn Storm Team tracking storms moving into Oklahoma Sunday
Live coverage ended at 7:38 p.m. OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – The 4Warn Storm Team is tracking more storms rolling into the state Sunday. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected Sunday afternoon and evening across parts of Oklahoma, including the Oklahoma City metro. The high today will reach the upper 80s and low 90s with storms most likely between 5 and 9 p.m. According to KFOR Meteorologist Tim Boyd, some of the strongest storms, especially south/southwest of the metro, could bring large hail, damaging wind gusts over 80 mph, and even a chance of tornadoes. Oklahoma Weather RadarOklahoma Weather Watches and Warnings MapKFOR SkyCam NetworkOklahoma Closings and DelaysOklahoma Weather Alerts Stay weather aware Sunday. You can find live updates below. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
