Firefighters worked Monday to battle a large wildfire that destroyed at least six homes and left one person dead after a controlled burn spread out of control in central Oklahoma. The wildfire broke out midday Sunday near Guthrie and by late day had burned an estimated 10 to 16 square kilometers of land as well as several homes, Guthrie Fire Department Chief Eric Harlow said. Aerial television footage Monday showed the fire still burning, and Harlow said that the fire was roughly 75 percent contained. Nearly 1,000 people were evacuated from homes in the city about 56 kilometers north of Oklahoma City Sunday, according to the fire department. Six homes were destroyed and the number of damaged or destroyed homes was expected to rise Monday. Fire department crews were assessing the fire and damage by helicopter. The American Red Cross set up a shelter at a church in Guthrie for those affected by the fire. High winds and dry conditions fueled several wildfires in Oklahoma Sunday, and those conditions were expected to persist Monday.
