OKMULGEE CO. — A smudge pot explosion injured five people in Okmulgee County just west of Beggs Nov. 17.
Jeff Moore, director of Okmulgee County Emergency Management, said the five victims suffered 2nd and 3rd-degree burns. Four were taken to the hospital by four separate helicopters after the explosion.
Moore said the five victims were at a gathering using the smudge pot when it exploded, throwing hot oil and fire on three men and two women. Four of them suffered burns to their upper body and one to their lower body. The victim's ages range from late teens to sixties.
On Nov. 20, Moore told 2 News two are in critical condition and the other three are stable at Hillcrest Burn Center in Tulsa.
A smudge pot is an oil-burning container, usually containing crude oil in the bottom, and is most commonly used in fruit orchards and greenhouses to prevent frost from growing on trees.
Moore believes the group was using the smudge pot to keep warm instead of for its intended use — keeping frost off plants, something he warns against.
"At some point, there was a catastrophic failure," said Moore.
A sense of trauma and stillness could be felt in downtown Beggs on Monday, three days after the incident. Everyone in the community said to keep the prayers coming.
"They've got a long road of recovery ahead, every one of them involved," Moore said.
Moore believes a foreign object may have gotten into the smudge pot causing it to burn incorrectly.
The incident happened at a home off Highway 16, west of Beggs.
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