Mannford woman finds hope after devastating fires through hen's survival

A Mannford woman, Ilia Stanfield, is coping with the aftermath of devastating fires that destroyed her home and many of her animals. Days after the fire, she found one of her chickens, Hazel, alive, roaming around the property. Hazel's resilience has given Ilia hope, reminding her that if the chicken can survive, so can she.

Friday, March 21st 2025, 10:50 pm

By: MaKayla Glenn

MANNFORD, Okla. -

A Family Legacy Destroyed

Ilia Stanfield’s property has been in her husband’s family for decades. This land had already endured the ravages of fire once before, in the 2012 fires. But this time, the damage was even more severe.

A Frantic Effort to Save the Home

When the fires started last Friday, Ilia was having lunch with a friend. Her husband was at work but rushed back home to try to save their property.

“I said, okay I will be right behind you, my lunch is almost over,” Stanfield said.

Despite his best efforts, the fires were just too powerful to control.

“He spent, I don’t know, an hour or so trying to save the home, but the moment the fire touched the home, it was gone in like 30 minutes,” Stanfield said.

Leaving Behind the Chickens

During the chaos, Ilia’s husband managed to grab what he could, including their four dogs and two cats. However, they had to leave behind their four chickens.

A Miraculous Discovery

Days later, something extraordinary happened. Ilia ventured back to her property to check on any changes, not expecting to find anything, especially after enduring several more fires and strong winds.

“I had gone out six days after just to check on the property. We had stronger winds come in, there had been more fires. I just wanted to see if there was anything different that I needed to document. And if I hadn’t been waiting on my friend to drop off some donations, I wouldn’t have been at my property that long, and I don’t know if I would’ve found her,” Stanfield said.

And then, she found Hazel – one of her chickens, miraculously making her way back home.

Hope Amid Despair

Ilia is still holding out hope for the return of the other three chickens – HayHay, Henry, and Henrietta.

For Ilia, Hazel's survival has become a symbol of resilience. She believes if Hazel can endure and survive, so can she.

“If she can survive six days on her own by herself with all the animals that are displaced--if she can be resilient, I sound crazy comparing myself to a chicken, but I can too,” Stanfield said.