OKLAHOMA CITY (KFOR) – An elderly woman in Oklahoma City with no insurance and on Social Security lost everything after her home caught fire Friday from the wildfires that spread across Oklahoma. This week, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief volunteers are there to help.  

The home is at a total loss. Everything is charred including several cars and two pianos. Four of the homeowner’s dogs also died in the fire. Now, 20 volunteers this week are sifting through what’s left and looking for anything that can be saved. 

“Just imagine having everything that you own gone. And so, she’s just struggling through that, as anybody would,” said Jason Yarbrough, state director for Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief.  

Yarbrough said the victim got out just in time. Police evacuated her about 15 minutes before it reached her home. She has lived there for a little over 60 years, and now the three-story home is completely gone. 

“The homeowner is out today with one of her neighbors trying to get some things reestablished the fact she lost everything… We have folks who have gotten her some clothes… but she’s out trying to get IDs and all those things back and find her a place of permanent residence,” said Yarbrough.  
 
Now, over a dozen volunteers from Oklahoma are working this week to clean up and look for any items that may have survived, but so far nothing valuable. 

“We found a few coins, you know, quarters, nickels and dimes. You know, nothing, really,” said Richard Brown, volunteer.  

Richard Brown has been volunteering with the organization for 15 years and said they’re doing everything they can to find keepsakes.  

“We’re doing some chainsaw work for this homeowner and I’m trying to clean up. We’re actually trying to find some jewelry that might have been in the house. That’s why we’re doing that, sifting in the ash,” said Brown.  

One Oklahoma man is volunteering on all of his days off and donating his construction equipment to help. 

“I really enjoy this… I’m a I’m a Christ follower. And I just prayed about it… I brought two Kubota machines, (a KX80 and a U35). And of course, my truck and dump trailer,” said Benjamin Skelly, volunteer. 

Skelly said his goal for this week is to get as much metal out as possible and will donate all of the money made from it to the homeowner who has no insurance. 

“We started and brought in a dump trailer because we’re gathering up all this metal, as you can see, and running that down to the scrap yard,” said Skelly.  

If you were affected by the recent wildfires, Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief has volunteers ready to help.  

You can call the toll-free request number at 844-690-9198. Or you can fill out a request form online at okdisasterhelp.org. 

American Red Cross of Oklahoma is also set up for in person help, daily, for Logan County residents. Red Cross assistance is free. You can also call them at 1-800-RED CROSS for help.  

Assistance and supplies will be available at Oak Cliff Fire Department located at 13425 S Bryant Road in Edmond.

Matt Trotter, Regional Communications Director for American Red Cross Kansas-Oklahoma Region said, “At this point, teams have visited more than 110 homes to assess damage, and they’ve classified 92 as destroyed. We’ve served more than 40 households in need of recovery support and are hoping to reach as many as possible this week… As far as anything to add, we are calling on people at every opportunity to support disaster relief.” 

Trotter added, “The best way to help people affected by disasters like these wildfires and recent tornadoes is by making a financial donation. Donations to the Red Cross help provide shelter, meals, relief supplies, emotional support, recovery planning and other assistance during disasters. Visit redcross.org, call 1-800-RED CROSS or text the word REDCROSS to 90999 to make a $10 donation.”