Firefighters Have Comanche County Wildfires Under Control

Dee Duren, News9.com

COMANCHE COUNTY, Oklahoma -- The wildfires near Ferguson and Meers are now under control, according to the Comanche County Public Information Office. Firefighters are staying at the scene to monitor hot spots.

According to Chris Killmer, Comanche County Public Information Officer, 14 homes and the Treasure Lake Job Corps Center in the Indiahoma will remained evacuated at this point. The evacuation area includes residents from the intersection of NW 267th Street & NW Cross Road, north to Oklahoma 49 and east to the Refuge boundary.

Earlier on Monday, 121 students and four supervisors from Treasure Lake Job Corps have been evacuated to Indiahoma Public Schools.

According to Killmer, State Highway 115 is closed north to Meer from its junction with State Highway 49. Highway 49 is closed from the Junction of Highway 115 at the Wichita National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center west to Road 267. Indiahoma Road is closed from the refuge boundary north to Highway 49.

The fire is in the Charon's Garden Wilderness area of the Wichita Mountain Wildlife Refuge.

"Comanche County District 3 graders are currently creating fire breaks around the evacuated homes," Killmer said. "Fire crews are also working with county graders to create a controlled fire to protect structures and contain the fire as it comes off the Refuge.

9/3/2011 Related Story: Comanche County Fire Still Burning, Affects 48 Square Miles

No injuries have been reported.

At least 11 homes and more than 30,000 acres have burned in Comanche County wildfires since Thursday.

According to the Killmer, the Great Plains Service Center of the American Red Cross, assisted by the First Baptist Church of Indiahoma, provided approximately 1,000 meals to firefighters and emergency personnel on Monday.

The Lawton Fort Sill Chapter of the Salvation Army provided dinner to the 125 Job Corps residents seeking shelter at the Indiahoma Public Schools.

There are no reports of damages or destroyed homes in the threatened area, and no injuries were reported at this point.