The Oklahoman
 Photo Nate Billings/The Oklahoman A ladder truck is pictured by the Hydro Cooperative on Monday. |
HYDRO, Okla. — A volunteer fire chief died Monday fighting a blaze inside a downtown grain bin, while his two firefighting brothers were pulled from the flames and taken to hospitals, authorities said.
Hydro Fire Chief Nolan Schmidt — a father of two and a local mechanic — was one of at least five firefighters who climbed into the mammoth bin half full of soybeans at the Hydro Cooperative. Fellow firefighters later cut through the side of the metal bin to remove Schmidt and four other colleagues, who were overwhelmed by the thick smoke. They include:
Hydro’s assistant fire chief Warren Schmidt, listed in serious condition at OU Medical Center.
Hydro Capt. Paul Schmidt, who was listed in good condition at Integris Baptist Medical Center.
Hydro firefighter Allen Entz, who was listed in good condition at Weatherford Regional Hospital.
Weatherford firefighter Kyle Nonast, who was listed in good condition at Weatherford Regional.
“It’s a dangerous job, and we volunteer to do it,” Hydro firefighter Dennis Ward said, fighting tears. “You just never think something like this is going to happen at your local co-op.”
The Hydro Fire Department consisted of only 10 volunteer firefighters, three of whom carried the Schmidt name.
“We’re a small department,” Ward said. “We spend a lot of time together, and we are very close. We’re like family. The Schmidt brothers are the very best - very Christian, very family-oriented people. We have suffered a horrific loss.”
Jimmy Murray, Hydro’s police chief, cried when he spoke of that loss.
“We’re a small community,” he said. “I want the families to know that our hearts got out to them. These guys are not only firefighters, they are our friends.”
Firefighters in neighboring Weatherford responded to the Hydro fire about 11:30 a.m., said Mike Karlin, Weatherford’s assistant fire chief. Karlin later took over as incident commander.
“Work was being done at the grain bin when a fire broke out,” said Karlin, who declined to say what type of work. The visibly upset Karlin only added, “We’re trying to finish the job our brothers started.”
Luke Tallant, an agent for the state fire marshal’s office, said witnesses are being interviewed and an investigation is under way to determine a cause. He declined further comment.
So did Hydro co-op manager L.G. Gilbert, who somberly said, “I’m not prepared to talk right now.”
The Schmidt family
The Schmidt brothers were considered cornerstones in the community, especially at the local firehouse where their father, Max, served as a firefighter for years. Nolan Schmidt was also a member of the Mennonite brethren.
“He was an outstanding young man who did a lot for the community,” said Jeff Krehbiel, chairman of the state Wheat Commission and a Hydro resident. “He was a close friend. He was an outstanding man.”
Krehbiel hesitated to speculate as to what might have caused the fire, but not about the type of men who would tackle such a blaze.
“These volunteer firefighters in rural Oklahoma often put their lives on the lines,” Krehbiel said.
Grain bins can explode or catch fire if dust particles are ignited by static electricity or heat, said Oklahoma State University biosystems engineering professor Carol Jones.
“If there’s an ignition source, especially with heat in it, and the dust are disturbed, then the surface area increases and there’s more fuel,” Jones said.
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