Firefighters Battle Wildfires In Okmulgee County

Monday, a wildfire threatened homes in Okmulgee County before being contained.

Power crews had to rush to the scene before firefighters could get to the flames.

Emergency Management Director Tim Craighton said the wind was so powerful Monday it actually knocked a tree over, which hit power lines and started a fire.

Wilson firefighters used leaf blowers to help contain the fire as PSO crews showed up to turn off the power.

The tree is in Tim Ridgeway's yard about a mile south of Highway 56 on Wilson Road. He wasn't home when it snapped, and he's thankful for the quick action from everyone who showed up to help.

"There's two houses down there right along this next road. And there's some more houses on north of there. And if it ever got out of hand, it could have burned a bunch of them down," he said.

The wind was so strong, the emergency manager said in Henryetta, part of Highway 124, or "Dustin Road" is closed to keep people safe because of the possibility of a billboard falling down on it.