Coweta Grass Fire Destroys Some Structures As 700 Acres Burn

By Meagan Farley and Dee Duren

WAGONER COUNTY, Oklahoma - Wild fires threatened several towns in northeastern Oklahoma including Broken Arrow and Coweta.

Firefighters report the Coweta fire started at about noon a.m. near the Golf Club of Oklahoma and at its height was about 2 miles wide and covered 700 acres. The fire burned for hours leaving an obvious path of burned grass, trees and hay.

2/17/2014 Related Story: Evacuations Ordered In Washington County Grass Fire

Roger Love said before he knew what happened, he lost acres of his land to the fire, "I got home at noon and by quarter of one it was on top of me."

He said fire crews battled the flames like pros; after all, there was a lot out there that could go up quickly

"I lost a lot of hay bales and equipment, but that stuff can all be replaced," said Love.

What can't be replaced is the mobile home of his Uncle James Wilson, just down the hill. It was destroyed by the fire.

80-year-old Wilson said he lost everything. He realized the fire was heading directly towards his home and could only watch from his sister's up the street as flames took the home he's lived in for years.

"I just went up there and watched the firemen, but they ran out of water and couldn't save it. "That was the reason they couldn't save it," Wilson said. "I'm just glad I wasn't in it, wasn't nothing I could do. Thankful to be out of it."

In a rural area, water is always a challenge, so crews regularly refilled the trucks; tending to hot spots and flare ups. But there just wasn't anything that could save Wilson's home.

Wilson said he wasn't able to recover anything, even his medicine.

"You're helpless cause there's nothing you can do. But there's others that experienced same things just count ourselves lucky is all we can do," said Love.

James isn't going to be left hurting as much, the Red Cross gave him a debit card for incidentals and his family lives in the area and are giving him a place to stay.