The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma said Thursday three people were critically injured Wednesday evening after a fire broke out on the tribe’s Capitol grounds in Tvshka Homma.
“This evening at approximately 6 p.m., a fire broke out at the Capitol Grounds while preparing for our annual Boom in the Valley,” Randy Sachs, a spokesman for the tribe said Wednesday evening.
Sachs said the incident caused five injuries.
“The cause of the accident is not yet known, but an investigation is underway,” Sachs said.
Choctaw Nation Lighthorse Police Chief Mike Woodruff said in a Thursday press conference that three of the five people injured were flown via medical helicopter with serious burns and other injuries. All three remained in critical condition. The other two people were treated and released from a local hospital.
Woodruff said the five injured were employees of the company hired for the tribe’s annual Boom in the Valley fireworks show.
In a press release made by the City of Jenks, the company was identified as Hance Pyrotechnics as the company had to cancel the city’s annual fireworks show due to the injuries in Tvshka Homma.
When asked about any structural damage at the Capitol, Woodruff said a cabin on the Capitol Grounds and a vehicle owned by one of the employees were damaged in the incident.
Investigators from the tribe’s fire department and Lighthorse are on scene conducting the investigation, according to Woodruff.
Woodruff said area fire departments and ambulance crews were already on standby at the Capitol when the incident occurred and thanked them for their swift action and response.
Due to the incident, Sachs said the tribe is canceling Thursday’s Boom in the Valley event.
“Please join us in praying for those injured,” Sachs said.
The Latimer County Sheriff’s Office and the Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office said their thoughts and prayers are with the people affected by the incident.
“Prayers for those injured by the fire at the Choctaw Capitol grounds this evening in Tuskahoma,” PCSO said in an online statement. “Choctaw Nation, Emergency services, and County provide excellent care for our community when we come together as a team! You never know when an emergency will arise or a tragedy will strike in our close-knit community. Prayers and teamwork make us successful.”