Cotton Storage Blaze Spreads to 25 Homes

Residents of a 20-block area evacuated because of a devastating field fire returned Wednesday to find that the blaze had destroyed at least 25 homes and four businesses, authorities said.

The fire started in bales of cotton in a storage field Tuesday, and the wind-driven flames spread to this city of 23,000 in southwestern Oklahoma. After a 30-minute inspection of the neighborhood Wednesday morning, Gov. Henry Bellmon likened the situation to “a scene out of a horror movie.

“I can’t imagine anyone thinking up a scenario like this, where there would be a fire break out in a field of cotton modules when the wind is blowing 60 m.p.h.,” Bellmon said.

The cotton, in bales about 40 feet long, 8 feet high and 8 feet wide, was stacked in the field awaiting processing at a cotton gin, officials said.

About 400 residents of the poor, south side neighborhood fled the fire, and 18 people were treated for minor injuries.

“Fire came and took everything,” said Jose Cresencios Briones, who lost his house and storage shed. He said his property was partially insured, but he did not know where he would work or how he would house his wife and five children.

Police Chief Jim Hughes said the destroyed cotton was probably worth about $3 million. Besides the destroyed homes and businesses, Hughes said about 100 other homes were damaged by smoke. He said he could not estimate monetary damages.

The cause of the fire was undetermined, city Administrator Joe Courtney said.