nbc's janet shanlian is live tonight in oklahoma city. janet, good evening. >> reporter: brian, good evening. they're having a tough time getting a handle on these fires, they're leap frogging through communities. and with this persistent drought, it does not take much. something as small as a cigarette butt can set an entire neighborhood up in flames. for wind whipped wildfires, thirsty oklahoma is an easy target. more than 30 homes in oklahoma city reduced to rubble. one of them belonged to michael lincecum. >> we had a lot of people and three dogs. >> reporter: they had an hour's warning. as lincecum surveys what might be salvageable, it's clear there's nothing. >> my dad had lived with us his last eight years and he was a world war ii hero and i had his flag and his pictures and his medals and all that. >> reporter: it was a hopscotch assault, one house a pile of ashes, next door, untouched. >> this is the largest wildfire we have had in my 27 years with the department. >> reporter: deputy fire chief says mother nature is working again