Payne County Families Lose Homes To Wildfire

Deanne Stein, News 9

PAYNE COUNTY, Oklahoma -- Firefighters have contained a wildfire that started in Oak Grove, a small community east of Cushing in Payne County.

8/5/2012 Related Story: Fire Crews Contain Wildfire Near Oak Grove

The fire forced 65 to 70 families to evacuate their homes on Saturday. Sunday, those families were allowed to return home, some of them to no home at all.

"Never in a million years did I think it would happen," said Vickie Clinton, who lost her mobile home in Oak Grove.

Clinton said they're was little time to process what was happening when an evacuation was issued.

"I met my sisters out here," she said. "We tried to get everything out of the house we could get out and ran."

Vickie's family was one of dozens of families forced to evacuate their home as a wildfire closed in.

"Some of the neighbors tried to stay and save what they could," Clinton said. "Everybody is just pulling together and praying for each other and doing the best they can do."

Only to return to charred remains. The fire consumed four mobile homes in this area, burning three of them to the ground, including Vickie's.

"It's just horrific, it's terrible," she said tearfully.

But through her tears, Vickie offered a warning to other Oklahomans.

"Just watch everybody throwing things out, cigarettes out or burning things," Clinton urged. "Watch for fire because nobody knows how dangerous it is until they've been through this."

Officials warn residents that there are downed power lines all over the area. In fact, there is not electricity at the water plant there, so residents are advised to use as little water as possible.