News team saves man from raging inferno while chasing Oklahoma wildfires (VIDEO)
US storm-chasing duo Amy and Val Castor dramatically rescued a tractor driver who was almost engulfed by the fiery jaws of death during an Oklahoma inferno.
The pair were tracking the extreme wildfires sweeping the midwest for KWTV News 9, when they came face to face with a wall of flames.
Extreme Fire Danger today across Oklahoma. Val and I will be reporting LIVE from the field if wildfires occur. pic.twitter.com/xlj8sf8qb2
— Amy Castor (@amycastor9) March 23, 2016
The footage begins with the TV crew sitting in a car recording a large grass fire in Woods County, northwest Oklahoma as a tractor driver in front desperately tries to maneuver his vehicle away from the advancing flames.
With the tractor becoming caught on the roadside verge, the reporters can be heard frantically signalling to the man to abandon the machine and run.
The fire then begins to swallow the farm vehicle, as the driver sprints to the safety of the Castor car.
Video of the terrifying incident shows the stormchasers narrowly avoiding death themselves by putting their vehicle into a rapid reverse.
Oklahoma Forestry Services has issued a red flag alert, warning residents that “critical fire weather is on-going and conditions are favorable for rapid fire growth”.
Strong winds and low levels of humidity in the state have led to dry ground conditions, with the forest management division urging extreme caution when handling anything that might cause a spark.
#OFSFireResponse Briefing map of 350 Complex fire in Woodward Co taken at 0500. Polygon shows the fire to be roughly 27,500 acres.
Posted by Oklahoma Forestry Services on Wednesday, April 6, 2016
The warnings come as emergency services battle to contain fires that have already destroyed at least 27,500 acres of land, report Oklahoma City’s KOCO News 5.
