Flames take Arapaho house

Custer County was just below the wildfire outbreak that struck last week across neighboring counties in western Oklahoma, but one two-story house was destroyed by flames anyhow at Arapaho.
That house was located just east of town on the south side of the Arapaho Road. John and Lakresha Jones lived there along with John Jones Jr. and Jaylon and Lynlee Esparza. The Esparza children are siblings heavily involved in Arapaho-Butler High School activities, playing baseball, softball and basketball.
Fire Chief Jared Howell said the house was fully involved with flames coming out the windows when firemen first arrived shortly after 6:30 p.m. Saturday. However, they were able to save a portion of the upstairs.
“The house would be considered a total loss,” he said, “but some of their memories were not lost. They were able to get some keepsake stuff.”
A dinner to benefit the Jones family is scheduled from 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Arapaho-Butler school cafeteria. Hot dogs, chips, dessert and a drink will be served with donations accepted.
“We encourage everybody to come out and participate,” said Howell.
Clinton firemen helped Arapaho fight the blaze, and Custer City did as well even though all three of those departments had spent much of their time since Thursday in Dewey County helping fight flames up there.
Howell said Arapaho had 11 men at the Jones fire along with one engine, one tanker and three brush pumpers. Two more men were still with the Custer County Task Force elsewhere at that time.
“We went out Thursday morning with the task force and had a five-man crew out of Arapaho until Saturday morning,” said Howell. “We brought a tanker and one brush pumper home. I needed to get my guys home so they could get some rest.”
When the Jones fire broke out, the department’s brush pumpers were needed to squelch any grass fires that might otherwise have started from embers off the burning house.
Cause of the Arapaho fire was still undetermined at noon Monday. But Howell did say he knew it was not caused by any of the other conflagrations around.
“At the end of the day everybody went home somewhere,” he said. “That’s the important thing. Nobody was hurt.”