Tinker responds to local wildfires

Published Aug. 17, 2012
By Brandice J. O'Brien
Tinker Public Affairs

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Okla. -- Unfavorable weather conditions combined with environmental concerns can sometimes lead to disastrous outcomes. The weekend of Aug. 3-5 proved to be a prime example of what can happen when there is extreme heat, a statewide drought and a burn ban. Devastating wildfires scorched several rural Oklahoma towns and annihilated homes. Yet, hundreds of firefighters, including many from Tinker, prevented the fires from wreaking further havoc.

Tinker firefighters, armed with brush pumpers, water tankers and a high-pressure system rapid-intervention vehicle -- the newest piece to the fleet, ventured to battle brush fires in Luther, Noble and Mannford. Approximately 10 people went at a time and worked shifts up to 12 hours.

"This is a partnership," said Terry Ford, Tinker Fire and Emergency Services chief. "By helping the local communities, we're protecting the people who work at Tinker. There are Tinker people who live outside the gate. There are businesses, operations and local community partners and they do so much for this base and support the mission that we owe it to them to support those companies and prevent damage to their property."

The first weekend of the month was agonizing. Temperatures reached 110 degrees with hardly a breeze. Large black smoke clouds loomed overhead and the scent of a campfire wafted through the air. Those close to the danger watched in horror. Those in the path prayed for a miracle and the firefighters at the scene tried to keep cool while salvaging what was left.

Jim Hester, Tinker Fire and Emergency Services station chief, was among the firefighters at the Luther and Noble fires.

"It wasn't the worst fires Oklahoma had ever seen, but it wasn't good. There were several homes lost," Chief Hester said. "It was fairly bad."

Chief Hester said on Aug. 3, he worked the Luther fire, overseeing the brush pumpers. Situated at 206 Covell and Dobbs Roads, they prevented the fire from spreading farther north. By the time the fire was extinguished, more than 2,000 acres burned.

"Thirty minutes before we got there, units were in a lot worse conditions. They had actually moved the command post from one mile section to two mile sections north and they moved it too far north and actually placed the command post on the backside of the fire," Chief Hester said. "The unit was almost overrun because the fire was crossing the road. Those conditions were pretty serious. It was blowing through there so fast.

"At one point, they said, 'Let's just save the town,' because it went right through Luther," he said. "At that point they weren't really concerned with stopping the fire, but protecting the town."
The crews positioned apparatus near a home and protected it from the fire. When one home was safe they moved on to the next one until as many homes as possible were spared. When the residences were no longer in danger, firefighters went back to chasing the wildfire.

But, it was still no easy feat. The chief said at one point, a train carrying hazardous materials was in the path of the fire. Before the situation escalated, the train was relocated.

On Aug. 4, Chief Hester and Tinker firefighters went to Noble and set up camp at 156th Street and State Highway 9. There, Chief Hester oversaw safety measures. He said the second fire wasn't as bad.

"It was a fairly slow moving fire. We were waiting for it to hit a pasture, and we had some brush pumpers extinguish that and moved to the Clear Bay Area of Lake Thunderbird State Park," he said. "They had the main body, which is grass, of the fire knocked down. What's left over is a lot of wooded areas, so what you have to do is go into and drag line into those wooded areas and extinguish the fire. If you don't, once it gets out of the woods, it's going to catch on grass again and take off again."

Chief Hester said his crew extinguished roughly 25 acres in the wooded area.

Chief Ford said the high-pressure system rapid-intervention vehicle proved to be a great asset during the fires.

"I'm quite pleased with the high-pressure vehicle. It used less water and allowed us to remain at the fire four times longer than the average brush truck," he said. "The longer we can stay engaged in a fire and not have to refill, the more fire we can fight and the faster we can knock it down."

Chief Ford said the continued support of the Navy Command Strategic Communications Wing ONE personnel in supporting the effort with two 4,000-gallon water tankers is greatly appreciated.

"Our mission partners from the Navy stepped up once again to assist in this effort by providing personnel and water tankers," Chief Ford said. "It's impressive how these folks whose job isn't even related to firefighting always step up to help."

The chiefs said Tinker and the local community worked well together with excellent communication. To learn how to protect your property from a wildfire, call the Tinker Fire Prevention Office at 734-3981.