Wildfire Destroys over 90 Square Miles in Oklahoma

CBS News reports that a wildfire has forced hundreds of residents to evacuate across four counties in Oklahoma. The fire raced through rural woodlands north and south of Oklahoma City, destroying 90 square miles of land and forcing authorities to shut down Interstate 44 and other main roads.

The fires began due to the area’s ongoing drought, high temperatures, and gusty winds. It has been difficult for firefighters to contain the fires because they are located in heavily wooded areas. Futhermore, strong winds are blowing at 25 mph, causing the fire to spread quickly. However, after cooler temperatures and a light overnight rain, the fire is reportedly contained.

Among the numerous fires that appeared throughout the state, one is being investigated after witnesses reported that they saw a man throwing a lighted newspaper from a black Ford pickup truck, intentionally spreading the flames. To date there have been no arrests and only one fatal report as a result of the fires.

“This summer has been terrible for wildfires, and our testing lab has analyzed an increased number of smoke/fire debris samples to determine the extent of the property damage and whether wildfires are truly the source,” states EMSL’s Materials Testing Laboratory Manager, Eugenia Mirica, Ph. D. “EMSL Analytical is the nation’s leading provider of smoke damage testing services and offers fire debris analysis to help settle insurance claims for property damage caused by a wildfire.”

To learn more about testing for smoke damage, char, carbon black, soot, indoor air quality (IAQ), or other environmental issues, please visit www.EMSL.com, call (800) 220-3675, or email info@EMSL.com .

About EMSL Analytical, Inc.
EMSL Analytical is a nationally recognized and locally focused provider of consumer product, environmental, industrial hygiene, food, and materials testing services to professionals and the general public. In addition, the company offers a large variety of air sampling equipment, sampling cassettes, and monitoring equipment. The company has an extensive list of accreditations from leading organizations, as well as state and federal regulating bodies. They include, but are not limited to AIHA IHLAP, AIHA EMLAP, AIHA ELLAP, A2LA, NVLAP, CDC Elite, CPSC (Consumer Product Safety Commission), CA ELAP, NY ELAP, TX Department of State Health Services, and multiple other state accrediting agencies.

Contact Information

Joseph Frasca

Senior Vice President of Marketing

EMSL Analytical

(1) 1-800-220-3675

jfrasca@emsl.com