Springtime is Oklahoma's main wildfire season. It comes on the heels of typically drier winter months, welcoming warmer weather and high wind speeds.
Last March, a perfect storm of conditions led to raging wildfires across the state causing the destruction of personal property. The land recovered in the following months, aided with early summer rains.
This year, most of Oklahoma is seeing more dry vegetation because of the precipitation, especially in the northwest part of the state, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Services. Meaning, there's more fuel for fires.
Although the fire activity has been quiet this winter, Oklahoma saw some blazes yesterday. The Oklahoma Forestry Services is reporting smaller fires, with most of them in the northeastern part of the state. Ten counties have burn bans in effect at the time of this story's writing.
The most recent National Significant Wildland Fire Potential Outlook shows the western part of the state has above significant fire capacity through February. The whole state will have that outlook in March.
"Worsening drought heading into a season influenced by La Niña, broad areas of above normal to even exceptional fuel loading in the Plains, along with a multitude of fuel concerns in the Southeast and southern Appalachians continue to be the drivers of risk until green-up is in full swing," the report reads.
There are several tools in the land management tool belt to manage wild fires, including prescribed fires. The burns are popular in the state and are used to get rid of invasive woody species such as red cedars, which cause wildfires to burn hotter and higher, and to prevent wildfires. It's a practice that Indigenous peoples have done for thousands of years.
John Weir, Oklahoma State University senior fire ecology extension specialist, said the land is adapted to fire and more people are doing prescribed burns because of increased fuel load.
"So people are more apt to burn when there's more fuel, which a lot of times, that's really good because they can help reduce fuel loads and reducing those fuel loads can hopefully deter some wildfire activity and things like that," Weir said.
At the same time, he said people who fight the wildfires are anxiously watching the weather because of the increased fuel load. Weather conditions, like was seen in March, can create a setting for uncontrollable wild fires.
"That's the deal. We have the potential for that every year here in Oklahoma, but a lot of times you just can't narrow down when it's going to happen and or if it's even going to happen," Weir said. "But you just always have to be prepared for it. That's the deal. You just never know when it's going to be there."
Last week's rain fell upon a drought-ridden Oklahoma. Levels of precipitation for late-January are expected to be near normal in the western half of the state, and leaning above for the eastern half, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
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