OU Law School Maintenance Worker Loses Everything In Wildfire

An OU Law School maintenance man is counting his blessings, even though one of last Friday's wildfires destroyed practically everything he owns.

Don Pickel, 55, was at work at OU's Law School when the fires charred his and several other homes in a mobile home park in Noble. Pickel says he's been overwhelmed by the help he's already getting from fellow employees at the Law School, as well as from people he doesn't even know.

Pickel says while he also lost a lot of OU sports memorabilia in the fire, he regrets most losing all his family pictures. But he wants to also thank everyone who has stepped up to help.

"You're alive and I know I've learned this much in life, there's always somebody that's worse off than you," he said.

When OU's athletic department heard about Pickel's plight Monday, they quickly got him a new Crimson and Cream OU polo shirt to wear.