Oklahoma volunteer firefighters prepare for high fire danger

Firefighters across the state are preparing their equipment and volunteers as fire danger intensifies. About 80% of Oklahoma’s firefighters are volunteers.

Firefighters brace for extreme conditions

The Silver City Fire Department, located in rural Creek County, is made up of about 14 volunteers ready to respond at any moment. Fire Chief Brett Whitten says tomorrow’s conditions remind him of the devastating Mannford fires of 2012.

"Right now there’s so many things going through my head, but above all is how do I get all of our firefighters home safe tomorrow night and keep the residents safe," Whitten said.

Volunteers train for rapid response

Nikolos Kimbrough, a volunteer firefighter with nine months of experience, has already had a busy week containing a wildfire in Terlton.

"Anytime you can just be sitting at home and then next second you’re rushing to the station to get dressed to go somewhere—to anything, actually," Kimbrough said.

"A little bit nervous, but I think we’ve got it. We’ve been training a lot for stuff like this."

Even experienced firefighters like Whitten say the risk is high. To combat it, departments are working together to ensure fast responses.

"We’re actually declaring tomorrow a war day, which means any of us get a fire in our district, we all go at the same time, just to get as much manpower and as much water on the fires as quickly as we can," Whitten said.

Crews prepare for rapid deployment

Silver City covers a large area around Keystone Lake. Any fire could quickly spiral out of control, so volunteers are positioned across the area to be ready.

Whitten says evacuation orders could be issued if fires become uncontrollable. He urges residents to follow evacuation orders immediately if given.

Firefighters are also placing hoses near hydrants in rural parts of Creek County so tanker trucks can refill faster.