Watch: Oklahoma Man Puts Out Wildfire With a Wet T-Shirt

When comes to putting out wildfires, you’ve got to do what you’ve got to do.

The Texas Panhandle and parts of western Oklahoma are being ravaged by wildfires as I write this. As of this posting, one of the wildfires was already the second largest in Texas history and is steadily growing.

But that’s how it goes in this part of the country. High winds and hot, dry conditions are the norm around here. So, dealing with wildfires comes with the territory.

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But I have to say that I never would have thought to do what the guy in the below video is doing to control a wildfire.

Watch and learn as he dips his t-shirt into a bucket of water and then whips it back and forth across the flames, putting the fire out. By using the wet shirt he’s combining two methods used to extinguish fires at once: removing oxygen by smothering it with the shirt and removing heat with the water in the shirt. Brilliant!

Of course, the fire was small, and it didn’t appear to be very windy, so this method wouldn’t be advisable in more extreme conditions. Nonetheless, his actions prevented what could have been a much worse situation.

Sundown Towns of Oklahoma

Even long after the Civil War ended slavery, the deep-seated resentment and hatred of black Americans lived on. While we have thought of and been taught the concept of segregation was primarily a Southern US thing, the stakes were even higher across Texas and Oklahoma.

"Sundown Towns" were whites-only settlements where the local politics and laws served as a warning to (mainly) African Americans traveling through the area. While history has been whitewashed to make it seem less intense, lynching was a common practice toward those not welcome who remained in an Oklahoma Sundown Town after sunset. Only the settlements that still exist are listed below.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

The Windiest Cities in Oklahoma

With all of the talk about windy cities and states, let's break down the metrics and crown one Sooner State champion. Here are the windiest towns in Oklahoma.

Gallery Credit: Kelso

20 Worst Places To Live In Oklahoma

Contrary to popular belief, Oklahoma is growing. People are seeking a more affordable life, less big city, more room to grow, and the Sooner State fits that bill better than you think.

Our slow and steady growth year-over-year has gotten enough national attention to garner all sorts of new studies in the state, including this one.

Here are the 20 worst places to live in Oklahoma based on cost of living, crime rates, poverty stats, low wage issues, and more.

Gallery Credit: Kelso