VIDEOS: Ten days after wildfires ripped through Stillwater and Payne County, officials provided an update on how destructive those fires were. Stillwater is giving the homeowners the option to demolish what is left of their home and start over. “Over eight yearsโ worth of structure fires occurred in a 12-hour time period,” Chief Terry Essary with the Stillwater Fire Department said. Essary and Stillwater Emergency Manager Rob Hill gave perspective on how large the March 14 fire event was. They said 26,301 acres burned. “Thatโs from McElroy to 80th Avenue, and from Highway 86 to Western, just to give you an idea of the scope,” Hill said. New data showed 229 homes were impacted, and 180 were completely lost.
City Council members praised the efforts of first responders and other city departments. “There were 1,277 calls made or received through that dispatch center. That includes 366 wireless 911 calls, and none went unanswered,” Christy Driskell with the city of Stillwater said. Officials said there were no fatalities. The city will shift its focus to long-term recovery. Stillwater filed for a state of emergency on March 14, and the state filed for disaster declaration on March 21.
