Olive School District starts after 30 students lose homes in Oklahoma wildfires

CREEK COUNTY, Okla. - It's a new beginning for the Creek County town hit hardest by the wildfire.

The first day of classes wrapped up Wednesday afternoon at the Olive School District.

Olive School leaders considered delaying the start of school after 30 students lost their homes. The school's entire graduating class is 22 students.

"That's less than 10 percent, but that's a significant number. If those kids left the school district, that would be a major problem," said superintendent Loren Tackett. "We're such a close-knit community. Even if your house wasn't destroyed, you either have a family member or close friend whose [home] was."

"I was prepared for school before my house burnt -- then I lost everything," said Gabrielle Dobson, one of the wildfire victims. "It was hard, I felt like I had nothing prepared. It was just chaos."

Dobson says it's easier to be at school around friends to keep her mind off the situation, even if her commute from Bristow is a bit lengthy.

Five children have left Olive for another school district.