Fire Engulfs Osage Leader's Home While En Route To 'Killers Of The Flower Moon' Premiere

An exciting night for an Osage Nation leader turned into a devastating personal experience when his home was destroyed by a fire Thursday night. Assistant Principal RJ Walker says the entire family is still in shock as they start to sift through the damage.

Walker says he and his wife were heading to Missouri for a premiere of 'Killers of the Flower Moon' when he got a call from his daughter that her car was smoking. He says within seconds, a fire started and spread to the home.

“It was hard to comprehend that my house was actually on fire,” said Walker. “It still is. I can’t believe it. It’s just like a nightmare you can’t wake up from.”

It was a restless night for Walker after Pawhuska firefighters spent nearly five hours putting the flames out. When the sun came up, the extent of the damage was revealed.

Walker says he dropped his daughter off at a mechanic’s shop in Bartlesville on Thursday so she could pick up her car. She made it back home and parked under the carport.

“She called, said she turned the car off, it started smoking,” said Walker. “We could hear popping in the background. Within it seemed like 20-30 seconds, it was on fire, and right into the house it went.”

Firefighters say the house was full of flames by the time they got on the scene. They say the fire spread quickly once it reached the attic.

Walker says his top concern was his kids, who are all OK. He says the house appears to be a total loss, but some things were saved.

“I did have some good friends that were running in and out of the house trying to salvage a few things,” he said. “They dragged out quite a bit of stuff.”

Remarkably, some Osage clothing and blankets stored in a chest survived without any damage. Walker says he and his family are figuring out what to do next.