CREEK COUNTY, Okla. — The Silver City Volunteer Fire Department has temporarily moved its operations outside the station to the top of the hill outside Mannford.
“We want to give the public a little more of a comfort feeling that we’re out here and we’re doing everything we can to prevent that from happening again,” Silver Lake FD Chief Brett Whitten said.
The state’s fire danger is high, and critical conditions are expected on March 15, though virtually zero burn bans are in effect.
WHY NO BURN BANS? >>> Click here to find out what 2 News learned
“All of our firefighters are all 100% volunteers, we don’t get paid a dime,” Chief Whittens aid, “Most of them are taking off work – vacation days – this weekend to actually be ready for the fires on Friday,”
Chloe Miller joined the ranks in 2020. While she’s on the frontlines, she’s thinking of others.
“I’m worried about all my younger guys, my newer guys, because they don’t have as much knowledge as a lot of the firefighters that are out there all the time,” Miller said, “So I’m worried about them a lot of the time.”
2 News also listened to Assistant Chief Anthony Beard, a therapist by day. Anthony splits time from his private practice to fight fires, and was on the scene during the outbreak in late Octobter 2024.
“It was hot. It was intense,” Beard said, “Concerned for people’s property, and doing everything we can to get there and stop it.”
Anthony says he knows only hard work.
“Sometimes you never know what fire you’re gonna go to. So I love what I do, ‘cause all of it gets to ultimately help people. And that’s my heart, that’s my passion,” Beard said.
“It’s easy to wear the shirt. It’s hard to do the things that need to be done to be a good fire department and a safe fire department,” Whitten said.
Firefighters advise Oklahomans to run sprinklers in their lawns, clear out debris, and eliminate outside fire activity, at least through the end of the week.
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