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Justin Wilson's family was left with only the clothes on their backs after a wildfire in his hometown of Luther, according to the ESU athletic department.
Wilson's home was one of more than 50 structures burned in the Luther fire, in which arson is suspected as a cause, the Oklahoman reported. Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Mary Myers told the Associated Press there had been "no arrests" and "no suspects," but deputies were "working around the clock" to find anyone responsible.
Luther is a small town about 27 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. At least 10 other wildfires were burning in the area, having burned dozens more buildings in the region and still prompting evacuations Sunday morning.
Fires across the state have burned over 52,000 since Thursday, according to NewsOn6.com.
The fire in Luther was put mostly under control by Saturday afternoon, but early Sunday, some roads in the area remained closed because of drifting smoke and other nearby fires, the AP reported.
Several firefighters have been treated for heat exhaustion, as the state is dealing with near-record high temperatures (Friday's high was 113 in nearby Oklahoma City), but I have seen no reports of serious injuries or deaths.
Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin toured Luther on Saturday, calling the damage there "heartbreaking." In a phone interview with news agency Reuters, she said some people were at work Friday when the fire started and didn't realize how quickly it was spreading. "It's emotional," she said. "For the children, it's very emotional to lose their possessions."
According to the Red Cross in Kansas City, who is sending volunteers to the area on Monday to help in relief efforts, 114 people stayed in shelters Saturday night. The Red Cross has activated its "Safe and Well" website, where people can check on loved ones who have registered themselves on www.redcross.com/safeandwell.
At 6 feet and 300 pounds, Wilson was the Daily Oklahoman's Little All-City Defensive Player of the Year at Luther High School and state champion in powerlifting. He had 65 tackles, 11 tackles for loss and six sacks, played tight end and was the team's kicker.
It didn't take long for Wilson's coaches to start sending out words of encouragement via social media.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to Justin Wilson and his family," Emporia State head football coach Garin Higgins tweeted, "as they cope with the loss of their home in the Oklahoma fires."
Matt Walter, Emporia's offensive coordinator, also offered his prayers. "esufootball is with you in your time of need."
ESU wide receivers and special teams coach Matt Martin offered his support. "ESU Football has your back Justin Wilson," he tweeted. "#Family #StayTogether #WinTogether"
ESU is working on figuring out how they can help Wilson and his family, within NCAA regulations, and when they announce what can be done, I'll update this post.
The University of Central Oklahoma, one of the MIAA's new additions this year, in Edmond, is only a little more than 20 miles away from Luther, and not far from other wildfires, though according to a conversation on Twitter I had with a graduate assistant on the UCO football team, none had reached the city or the campus.
For those of you in the area, donation spots have been set up to help those affected by the fire. A list can be fond here: http://bit.ly/OBYSuT
Not in the area? You can donate via the Red Cross by visiting www.redcross.org, calling 1-800-RED-CROSS, or texting the word "REDCROSS" to 90999 to make a $10 contribution.
With MIAA newcomers UCO and Northeastern State in Oklahoma, and a fair amount of Oklahomans in other MIAA schools, it's entirely possible Wilson won't be the only person to be affected by the fires. If you hear of others, you can leave a comment below, email me at [email protected], tweet me @miAARONd2 or send me a message at facebook.com/apheintz.
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