Business owner injured in Tulsa fire trys to recover

A Tulsa family watched its ice cream business burn, sending everything they've worked for up in flames. The owner went through surgery Thursday for 3rd degree burns. His wife and children are now

Friday, April 21st 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

A Tulsa family watched its ice cream business burn, sending everything they've worked for up in flames. The owner went through surgery Thursday for 3rd degree burns. His wife and children are now struggling to find a way to start over. The sign above the C & L Ice Cream Company is about all that's left, unless you count seven burned out ice cream trucks that used to play tunes through Tulsa neighborhoods. "This is it this is what's left," said Linda Gann. Linda Gann is the L and her husband Curtis, the C, in the C & L name. Tuesday night they were inside when a fire started. Gann says "I was sitting in the office I had the air on and the door shut and I heard yelling for help and I opened the door and my husband was running around on fire and screaming help me get this fire off of me." Curtis Gann had been working on the fuel tank in one of the trucks. A nearby light sparked when gas hit it and started burning. Linda Gann adds "I went out and told him to drop and roll and he did and he got the fire off of him and he came out here and moved our pickup truck and moved it down the ally and got my son and rescued him." Everyone, but 27 year old Curtis got out unhurt. Even the drivers who were still there. Craig Adams says "I never want to go through that experience again." Linda says "it's scary for two days now when I close my eyes alls I see is him on fire and all I hear in my mind is get this fire off of me I can't sleep." The Ganns ran this business out of their home until late December that's when they rented this building near downtown Tulsa. They thought this would be the beginning of a booming ice cream business. Linda adds, "to start my business I pawned all my gold rings. My first truck was $1,700." Three years and about $250,000 later, this business woman is starting over with nothing but determination and hope. KOTV talked to Curtis Gann Thursday evening. He's in satisfactory condition at Hillcrest Medical Center after undergoing a five hour surgery Thursday.