BRISTOW, Okla. — Joyce Greeley might speak for all Oklahomans, calling the last few days “chaotic.”
Between March 14 and 19, countless fires broke out in Oklahoma, with possibly more to come.
Bristow was no exception. A fire broke out South of town, damaging two structures and charring hundreds of acres of grass.
“It could be worse. But you don’t really wanna think about the worst that could happen, but it does happen,” Joyce Greeley, who lives nearby, said.
2 News listened to Bristow’s Fire Chief Charles Conkling.
“We really fared well because we had so much help from neighbors, friends, family members that was out there,” Chief Conkling said.
Though Bristow’s situation turned out well, Conkling feared the worst at points.
“When the winds were blowing … across Highway 48, it got a little bit worrisome because we had so many houses in danger,” Conkling said, “We didn’t have a whole lot of extra personnel to go to each house and just do structure protection.”
Mayor Kris Wyatt also spoke with 2 News.
“In all, we fared very well,” Mayor Wyatt said.
The Bristow Fire Department could match almost any other in the state. The station is replete with state-of-the-art equipment, resources, and brave people ready to take action. Wyatt gives Bristow’s first responders all the credit.
“From our dispatchers, the police department, who apparently took nearly a thousand calls of, ‘there’s fire coming,’ and obviously our fire department who were on the ready, and making preparations ahead of time. They’ve worked so well together,” Wyatt said.
Though Bristow was spared the worst, residents are dealing with the inevitable.
“A lot of people can’t hardly breathe because it’s all in their face and stuff, and I’m like, there’s gotta be something that’s gotta be done,” Greeley said.
Mother nature is a strong force, but her worst can sometimes be quelled with smart decisions and preparation.
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