Creek County Sheriff’s deputies said they have a few people who might have started the wildfires.
Investigators believe the fire started with some sort of violation of the burn ban, a camp fire or burning trash. Creek County was under a county wide burn ban when the wildfires started. The entire state now remains under a burn ban issued by the governor.Wildfires started on Thursday evening and have blazed through the weekend into Wednesday. They have burned 58,500 acres so far and firefighters have only contained it 60 percent.
The smoke is hard to see above highway 48 and highway 33 but it is still there underneath the trees.
Tulsa firefighter Stan May said Wednesday’s high wind and low humidity is not helping his men and women.
“The inside is going to take days and days to hunt down all the hot spots and put them out,” said May.
He took FOX23 through Creek County’s smoldering spots where the wind kept picking up embers forcing firefighters to chase those flames. Homeowners are starting to return to what they have left and are trying to save it.
“The are in there trying to rebuild now but there is still a danger from these small fires blowing back in to the occupied areas,” said May.
Many volunteer firefighters in the area are the homeowners who lost their properties.
“We lost all the grass accept about 20 acres," said homeowner and Olive volunteer firefighter Dwayne Garland.
“The fire came and the winds changed and came out of the north on Saturday; thought we had everything saved,” said Garland. His livestock is now without food because of the fire damage.
“I lost grass 120 bales of hay, so we don't have anything to feed them so we will take them to the barn and sell them,” said Garland.
He lives northwest of highway 48 and highway 33 close to 91st Street South and East 417th West. That entire area is slowing burning.
Firefighters are showering the area with water but with thousands of embers burning, they need rain to help sock the land.
Creek County officials said they refuse to release the names of any persons of interest. They know neighbors in the area respect each other but worry the 209 families who lost their homes might pose a threat to the people who possibly started the fire.
