Fire crews from Henryetta, Dewar and Plainview were unable to stop a blaze from destroying a home Sunday afternoon on Creek Mine Road.
According to fire chief David Bullard, a heat lamp being used to keep an enclosed patio was believed to e the cause of the blaze. Firemen battled not only the fire but also sub-freezing temperatures that froze water on their hoses, protective gear and equipment.
Henryetta firemen were called out earlier in the day to help with a tank truck overturned on Interstate 40 about two miles west of town. That accident closed down the westbound lanes of the highway for nearly two hours. No injuries were reported in the crash.
Monday morning, a semi jackknifed on US 75 about two miles north of Henryetta blocking traffic for a short time.
Police say the snow and icy conditions have travel around the area extremely dangerous. Sunday’s snow and high winds caused drifts along protected areas.
City crews were able to get some sand and salt down before the temperatures bottomed out but, with the extreme cold, little thawing is expected for several days.
The bad road conditions caused problems with trash pickup throughout town.
Garbage trucks ran some of the routes until 11 p.m. Saturday and trash pickup is expected to resume Tuesday.
No major city water line leaks have been reported but public works director Ron Casey said he expected leaks to hit as the ground continues to freeze.
A number of homes throughout the area have reported water lines freezing up keeping plumbers busy trying to thaw them out.
“You can’t just have a dripping faucet when the temperature is this cold,” Casey said. “The water needs to run at a small stream.
Despite the weather, the basketball area playoffs are still scheduled to be held later this week.
Henryetta’s basketball teams are going to Valliant for their area contest. The Lady Knights will be playing at 6 p.m. Saturday followed by the Knights at 8. Henryetta’s gym will be the site for the winner and consolation brackets Feb. 25.
The Dewar Dragons will be playing at Frontier Thursday in an 8 p.m. game against Covington-Douglas. The Dragons won their district game against Quapaw Friday with a 52-32 margin. They followed that un with a 64=39 win over Afton Saturday to move into the regional contest.