Wildfires have ravaged southern Oklahoma and north Texas. We have updates Friday from the First News Team covering these blazes, many of which firefighters are still battling.

In Love County

In Love County, Oklahoma, many residents are thankful Friday night, that while more than 5,000 acres burned, no one was seriously injured. Daniel Armbruster reports.

For the past nine days, volunteer firefighters from all over Love County have left their normal routines to ensure the safety of their communities, and according to residents and authorities, these hard working men and women have gone above and beyond, and should be commended for their efforts.

"We have a great neighborhood and a bunch of people pitched in, and everone was so helpful with trucks and trailers and our fire department was fantastic," said Cathy Nogueira, a resident.

Nogueira and her husband own a small ranch in Love County. The Nogueira's and many of their neighbors experienced tense moments this week, but in the end, they know they are lucky, because things could've been much worse.

"Oh we were calm until it was burning the corner of our property, and then it wasn't that we were nervous, we just wanted to get animals out and make sure neighbors were safe and kids were safe and stuff like that," Nogueira said.

"I've never seen it burn like this for 8 days," said Tracy Smithwick. He's been with Love County Emergency Management for more than a decade. While he says he's seen many grassfires, he says recent events are unusual. But now, everything is under control.

"Anything that flares out comes out in the unburned area then they'll take care of that," Smithwich said.

Nogueira says they are blessed to still have their home, and the family's horses are safe at another ranch.

"We feel more than pretty blessed. we are very blessed," Nogueira said.

Thousands of acres burned in Love County yesterday afternoon and into the night. Daniel Armbruster has this report north of Marietta.

Firefighters are still dealing with hot spots on Oswalt Road. The fire started 9 days ago as a controlled burn in Carter County. It got out of hand, and since then it scorched more than 5,000 acres in Love County alone. Now emergency management director Tracey Smithwick says everything is under control in Love County.

No accidents or injuries have been reported in Love County, but at least two structures have been destroyed.

In Fox/Graham

Fires are still burning in Fox/Graham area in northwest Carter County.

The Fox/Graham Volunteer Fire Department was damaged by the fire. Firefighters tell us they lost one truck, lots of their additional fire gear, and all their records. But they are all out tending to hotspots as wind speeds increase.

At least a dozen homes have been destroyed along State Highway 76, and dozens more could be burned on either side of that highway.

6 p.m., Friday

Firefighters are still working to control flames the winds continue to whip up. Carter County Sheriff Ken Grace says the rough estimates are in― at least 50,000 acres have burned in Carter County alone. Sheriff Grace says one of the hardest areas hit is around the town of Fox, where the home of Jesse Figueroa has been reduced to ashes.

“We moved in here when the kids was just babies. We have nothing now,” he says.

Figueroa has lived just north of Fox and south of Ratliff City for more than 15 years. He says he was at work Thursday afternoon when he learned the worst had happened.

“I got a phone call from our fire chief. He said it was just a pile of tin sitting on the ground. It couldn't have been any more than an hour, and hour and a half at the very most. I come back, and this is what I found.”

Figueroa’s home's, along with many of his neighbors around State Highway 76, have been reduced to little more than ash. Now he is just trying to pick up the pieces

“We’ll we're just seeing if there's anything salvageable, which two or three coffee cups… that’s about it.”

But as Figueroa tries to salvage what’s left, firefighters, most of them dedicated volunteers, continue to battle hotspots and flames that flare up.

Officials say they do not know the cause of all the area wildfires, but as a volunteer firefighter himself, Figueroa knows the dangers of the winds.

“People just need to watch when they start burning stuff, brush piles and stuff like that, they need to need to think about it, especially with the winds we've had.”

Figueroa says he's not sure where to go from here, but he knows he wants to stay in the area he's called home for most of his life.

“You can't beat the people. They're just the best there is. I'd like to stay in this area. We'll just see what happens.”

County leaders say they want to give a special thanks to all the volunteer firefighters. Most area departments are manned by volunteers. Officials say the damage would have been a lot worse without their efforts.
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In Healdton

HEALDTON, OK ― Firefighters are still battling what city leaders are calling a "significant" wildfire on the northwest side of Healdton. Shelby Levins has been out in Carter County all day Friday, where she files this report.

One of the first of these massive wildfires started Thursday afternoon. Flames raged along Oil City Road, and the entire area was blocked off. Now other fires are burning on the northwest side of Healdton, and not much more than charred land and remnants of homes remain off Oil City Road.

Lynn & Teddy Bryant lost their Healdton home to Thursday’s devastating fires.

“There’s no words to describe how you feel. None whatsoever.”

Lynn and Teddy Bryant lost their home on airport road just off Oil City Road. They had made the house their home for more than 20 years. Now only ash and rubble remain.

“A lot of loss, a lot of memories, things like that that you can’t bring back, but we got each other.”

The Bryants were not home when the flames destroyed their home. They are thankful they are OK, but not everyone was so fortunate.

“Our one doggy is at the vets. The other one didn't make it.”

The Bryants just buried their dog, ‘Blacky’. The couple says they miss their beloved dog, but they found a ceramic angel next to him.

They know they're not the only ones hurting. Just about everywhere you look around them is charred.

“Up north, all the trailers are gone. They've lost everything, and people down on Oil City Road back east lost everything. There's a lot of people that are really hurting.”

The Bryants say these kinds of disasters show you how much loved ones really care and how quick the area responds. OG&E came out and shut off power to the hot wires to prevent any more damage.

The Bryants say they will try to move on and try to rebuild.

“We’re supposed to meet the insurance adjuster and probably try to start cleaning things up and take it from there, just one day at a time now.”

Healdton city manger Sherri Adams tells us at least a dozen homes were destroyed around Oil City Road alone. Adams is now working to try to get the area declared as a natural disaster area in hopes of opening up federal aid to the Healdton area.

IN MONTAGUE COUNTY, TX

Fire swept over Stoneburg, TX, as dozens of homes have been completely destroyed. Officials say they are still fighting several fires still going in the area.

The wildfires that have swept across parts of North Texas and southern Oklahoma have claimed their first lives. A Montague County couple was killed Thursday when fire overtook their rural home about five miles west of Montague.

WFAA-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth quotes family members as identifying the couple as former WFAA reporter Matt Quinn and his wife, Cathy.
The station reports their son, Chris, was in fair condition with burns at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas. A Montague County sheriff's dispatcher referred questions about the deaths to a secretary later Friday.

The towns of Sunset and Stoneburg in Montague County were devastated by Thursday's wind-whipped fires across the parched region. Several dozen homes were destroyed, with only a heap of debris and ashes remaining.

-The Associated Press

From First News reporter Josh Stevenson in the field...

•1 additional fatality, reportedly a woman who had a heart attack during the fires, bringing the death toll to 3

•38,000 acres burned in Montague County

•2 fires still burning Friday afternoon

•250 additional personnel headed to Montague Co. to aid firefighters

•Red Cross has opened a shelter in Muenster at the Jr High School for evacuees (any in the area)

6 p.m., Friday

South of the Red River, Montague County has been devastated by fire as well. Seven fires have scorched fore than 38,000 acres of land and claimed three lives. Josh Stevenson saw the damage firsthand in Montague County on Friday.

Across Montague County, firefighters have been pushed to their limits over the past 24 hours. Nearly 60 square miles have been burned, as strong winds have made a dangerous situation deadly.

"As big as this fire was, and as fast as it was moving, it was almost impossible because of the wind shifts,” said Sandy Taylor with the Texas Forest Service.

“You think the fire is going this way, and the shift will go another."

With Thursday’s fires consuming a mile of land every 15 minutes, officials say there simply may have not been enough time for Matt and Cathy Quinn to get away from the flames that took their lives and destroyed their home just west of Montague.

The fire was so intense it melted the aluminum rims of the car in the driveway and reduced the home to ashes. Their son, Chris, managed to escape the blaze and is being treated for burns at Parkland Hospital in Dallas.

In a separate incident a Bowie woman died from an apparent heart attack while attempting to get away from the inferno.

Investigators are now trying to discover what could have sparked so many fires in Montague County.

"All the causes now are under investigation. We have more teams coming in to do some investigation," Taylor said.

The town of Stoneburg was overtaken by flames Thursday, with more than a dozen homes destroyed officials estimate that at least 300 people have been displaced in Montague County.

"This whole county is just devastated, and they have been working around the clock and they need some help," said Taylor.

Montague County Judge Tedd Winn says that he has been told that more help is on its way.

"The people from Austin will be here late this afternoon to try to start the paperwork and get us help as fast as possible," Winn said.

As of Friday evening, there are two fires still burning in Montague County. Governor Rick Perry has activated units from the Texas National Guard to come and assist with the recovery efforts. Many are expecting Montague County to be declared a disaster area in the very near future.

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First Bank & Trust Co. is accepting donations to benefit the victims of the recent western Carter County fires.

Items being accepted include clothing items, non-perishable food items and other personal hygiene items.

Items can be dropped off at 313 W. Main in Healdton during banking hours on Monday through Thursday from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm and on Friday from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm.

For more information, contact First Bank & Trust Co. at 580.229.1076.