Norman and area firefighters had several fires with which to contend Thursday, including a wildfire at 180th Avenue SE and Banner Road reportedly started by a resident burning trash in the area.

A statewide burn ban was in effect. The fire burned through a neighborhood east of 180th Avenue SE. No official damage assessment was available at press time but Mariann Lawson, executive director of the Heart of Oklahoma American Red Cross chapter said she had heard eight homes had burned.

The fire was reported approximately 2:30 p.m. and units from Cedar Country, Tribbey, Norman, Slaughterville, Moore, Noble, Lexington and Asher responded to the fire.

Because there is no water service to the area, tankers were constantly shuttling water to the scene.

High winds kept the fire burning late into the night and caused it to spread north to Bourbonais Creek Road and east into Pottawatomie County.

One Norman firefighter was treated at the scene for a shoulder injury by EMSStat paramedics and went back to work.

Many homes were evacuated by the Cleveland County Sheriff's Department and deputies stopped traffic through the area including two Noble school buses.

It is not known yet how many houses were burning but residents are showing signs of stress, a Transcript photographer said, because "they are unable to check on their homes and animals."

One resident reported she was handcuffed by a deputy for not leaving her home immediately. The woman said she had put her neighbor's pets in her well house and was wetting it down when she was told to leave. She was not arrested.

However, another resident was arrested when he ignored the roadblocks and tried to get to his house.

Evacuees were told to report to the Cedar Country Fire Station at 180th Avenue SE and Slaughterville Road where they received food and drinks and were told by the sheriff's deputies that as soon as the area had been cleared by the fire department, they would be escorted to check on their homes..

Firefighters were calling for more blankets for the evacuees as the evening cooled down because they had given out all they had.

Noble schoolchildren on two buses Thursday afternoon were delayed going home because of a fire in the area. None were injured, according to school officials.

"We did have two buses that had difficulties but they're all safe now," said Brenda Lee, administrative assistant.

One of the buses delivered some of the children before the bus route became unsafe, she said. The bus driver then brought the rest of the children back to the school to be picked up by their parents, she said.