The Town of Velma was evacuated Monday afternoon after the Stephens County Sheriff's Office said a large fire was burning in the area. Deputies told residents to leave at once and stay away until further notice.
The order put a small community in southern Oklahoma on the move with little time to spare. For people who had nowhere else to go, the Stephens County Fairgrounds was opened as a shelter, giving evacuees at least one place to wait out the fire response.
That is the urgent part of the story behind Velma Ok today: not only that people were told to get out, but that no return time was given. The evacuation was announced while the fire response was still active, which means the disruption is immediate and the length of it is still unclear.
Residents of the Town of Velma were instructed to remain away from the area until further notice, a phrase that leaves the next step entirely dependent on conditions on the ground. Until deputies say otherwise, the safe course is simple — stay out, find shelter if needed, and wait for the all-clear that has not been set yet.
