Watch: Deputy’s terrifying drive through a burning forest during Oregon Road wildfire rescue mission
The body cam footage shows a Spokane County Sheriff's deputy take a 60-second heart-pounding race through the burning forest while trying to escape the Oregon Road fire and warn residents of the impending danger.
Police body cam captures terrifying moments during Oregon Road fire evacuation
Footage shows Spokane County Deputy Brittan Morgan driving through a hellish blaze on Aug. 18 to notify residents to leave their homes as the surrounding area burned. (Courtesy: Spokane County Sheriff's Office / BODY CAMS+ /TMX)
SPOKANE COUNTY, Wash. – A Spokane County Sheriff's deputy drove through a hellish blaze on Aug. 18 amid his race to urge residents to leave their homes as the Oregon Road wildfire was swiftly engulfing the surrounding area, and a newly-released body camera video shows the terrifying drive.
Deputy Brittan Morgan’s body cam video opens up with him in northern Spokane County in Eastern Washington, trying to convince a man in a blue shirt to leave as fire burns not far behind him, but he refuses out of concern for the animals on his property.
"Chickens, we can get more," Morgan reassured the man. However, the man runs toward a plume of wildfire smoke. As he does, Morgan at least confirms that the man has a vehicle available for escape and leaves.
Morgan trying to convince a blue-shirted man to evacuate.
(Spokane County Sheriff's Office / BODY CAMS+ /TMX / FOX Weather)
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Morgan then heads to another part of the evacuation area, and realizes that the fire is heading his way. His escape route: A road through a forested area that’s already been engulfed in flames.
At around the 2:15 mark in the body cam footage, Morgan begins a 60-second heart-pounding race through the burning forest, struggling to see through the smoke as he drives along flaming trees.
Morgan driving through fiery area.
(Spokane County Sheriff's Office / BODY CAMS+ /TMX / FOX Weather)
About a minute later, he emerges from the flames.
"Holy (expletive)! That was scary," he says to himself.
Moments later, he runs into others who were heading the opposite direction and likely unknowingly into the fire. He stops to implore them to turn around.
While there, he finds the first man in the blue shirt had indeed taken his advice and was evacuating the scene.
"I was so worried about you!" Morgan said as he checked on the man. "I know you're sad for your horses, but I'm glad you're alive."
More frantic residents approach the deputy needing help. One man in a red shirt pleads with the deputy to allow him to go home in the direction of the fire to retrieve his livelihood, a semi. Morgan tells him how dangerous it would be to retrieve the semi parked near the flames.
"I don’t want you to die," Morgan says to the man, placing his hands on the man's shoulders.
Morgan helping a man.
(Spokane County Sheriff's Office / BODY CAMS+ /TMX / FOX Weather)
Then a woman pulls up and asks the deputy to help her father, who was unable to leave his home. According to the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, Morgan radioed the location of the woman’s father to other first responders.
The community was one of many affected by the Oregon Road fire, which began on Aug. 18 and has burned more than 10,000 acres as of Wednesday and claimed one life.