Residents Displaced After NE OKC Grass Fire Spreads To Apartments

The Oklahoma City Fire Department is investigating a large grass fire which damaged some apartment buildings in northeast Oklahoma City. 

Fire crews said the fire ignited in a field near Hefner and Northeast 122nd Street on Wednesday afternoon. The grass fire quickly spread to the Summit Ridge Apartments. 

Resident Elisa McCurley said she and her family fled as quickly as possible.

“It was definitely scary for us,” McCurley said. “We were worried. We didn’t know if we’d have a house to live in afterwards.”

“It was heartbreaking because when I went inside and saw the flames getting really tall, I was like, ‘We got to get out of here,’” Mike McCurley said.

As the flames drew nearer, instead of leaving, one apartment resident decided to step in and help firefighters on the scene.

“As they were coming through, they just asked if we got a hose,” apartment resident Kevin St. Johns said. “Me and my cousin were just hopping fences to get to the next fire to stay out here and help as much as we can.”

The fire was contained before reaching more structures. However, two buildings did catch fire. One of them was a total loss. 

Terry Gaines lived in that building for the last year. Gaines said all he and his two children have now are the clothes on their backs.

“It’s a hard pill to swallow,” Gaines said. “I never wish that on nobody, two days before Christmas. Kids had Christmas gifts in the house. It hurt.”

One unit of a second apartment building was also damaged. Fortunately, the complex was evacuated. No injuries were reported as a result of the blaze.