The Oklahoma Department of Health reported 34 injuries across the state. One severe injury was reported in Stephens County, where a motorist lost control of her vehicle on a smoke-covered road. A Lincoln County firefighter suffered serious burns and was taken to Integris Burn Center in Oklahoma City. His condition was not available but he was stabilized, officials said. No other serious injuries were reported.

Choctaw

In Choctaw, authorities said "less than 20” homes had been destroyed, although they did not have an exact count. Officials said more homes could burn overnight as winds shifted and took burning embers into new areas.

"We’ve lost major homes,” Fire Chief Loren Bumgarner said.

Choctaw Mayor Randy Ross said officials have asked hundreds of people to evacuate as fires neared Choctaw High School. Although the school escaped damage, homes south of the school continued to burn past 10 p.m.

"We have asked several additions to completely evacuate,” Ross said. "The additions around the high school — virtually everything between NE 23 and Reno and between Henney and Indian Meridian — we’ve asked those people to either leave or at least be cognizant of what’s going on.”

Ross said firefighters have also been hampered by damage to infrastructure.

"I’ve lost a couple of water wells, which is problematic when you are fighting fires,” Ross said. "That will be a challenge for us in the morning.”

Residents of evacuated homes waited outside a tire store.

"There wasn’t time to get nothing,” said Willie Bennett, 69, a retired mechanic. He was worried about three dogs he left at his house near Choctaw High School.

"Man, how did this get started?” he said.

Another evacuated Choctaw homeowner, Benny Workman, 65, said police went door to door asking people to leave.

"They came banging on the doors telling us to get the heck out,” he said.

Workman said he grabbed valuables, documents, his dog and some dog food.

"The smoke was so thick,” he said.

Choctaw and Nicoma Park schools will be closed today, officials said.

Lindsay

Authorities in Lindsay said 11 homes were destroyed and two others were in danger from a fire along State Highway 76 north of Lindsay.

Lindsay Fire Chief Jay Selzer said the fire was stretching at least 61/2 miles on both sides of State Highway 76. Residents of about 100 homes in the area were evacuated as firefighters battled the blaze into the night.

Selzer said a firefighter and a bystander were treated for heat exhaustion, but there were no serious injuries.

Kevin Rhoads, Purcell Emergency Management Director, said 12 to 15 square miles were burned.

Brenda Nunn, who lives on State Highway 76 about eight miles north of Lindsay, said she went outside and began watering the grass around her home when she heard about the approaching fire at 3 p.m.

A sheriff’s deputy came by and told her to evacuate. Nunn said she couldn’t even take her car; she left in a patrol car.

"The smoke was so heavy, I couldn’t see the flame,” Nunn said. "I just left the hose running.”

Nunn said the last she heard, her house was OK, but the house behind hers was burned. She planned to stay with relatives Thursday night.

Authorities said those in the evacuated area were being sent to the Purcell Fire Department, where they would be given instructions on where they could stay for the night.

Angie Jarman, who lives about eight miles north of Lindsay, said she would spend the night sitting alongside a county road near State Highway 76 and hope her home is still there in the morning.

Earlier Thursday she received a call from her daughter and sons from the home, saying a fire was close. She dashed home and was stopped by police, who eventually let her pass when she explained she had children there. Police gave her 10 minutes.

"Photos were all I had time to grab,” she said. "That and my dad’s medicine, and that’s it.”

Lincoln County

Three fires were burning out of control in Lincoln County, said Ben Springfield, deputy emergency management director for the county.

A firefighter suffered major burns while battling a blaze and was taken to an Oklahoma City hospital, Chandler Emergency Management Director Larry Hicks said.

"We had one truck that got overrun,” Hicks said. "It’s pretty severe.”

Residents of the Lincoln County town of Sparks, population 150, were told to evacuate their homes.

Homes burned south of Wellston, he said. Other homes were evacuated northeast of Chandler.

"There is no count yet, but there have been several homes lost,” Springfield said.

He said two firefighters needed medical assistance at one of the fires.

"The fires have moved rapidly out of control northeast,” he said.

Elsewhere

Areas of southeast Oklahoma City near Lake Stanley Draper were evacuated as firefighters battled a large wild fire near SE 134 and Anderson Road.

Several grass fires near Velma and Loco caused evacuations. Those leaving were asked to go to the Stephens County Fairgrounds in Duncan, said the county’s emergency manager.

Contributing: Staff Writers Michael Kimball, Ann Kelley, Robert Medley, Brian Sargent, Nolan Clay, Jennifer Griswold, Jesse Olivarez