Oklahoma fire crews are currently battling several wildfires that have consumed more than 150,000 acres in Oklahoma and Kansas.
According to NASA’s fire information system there are ten wildfires in eastern Oklahoma, with one in western parts of the state between Weatherford and Clinton with two in the Panhandle.
The fires have injured four firefighters in Beaver County and destroyed eight structures in Texas and Woodward Counties.
Gov. Kevin Stitt declared a state of emergency for all three of those counties Wednesday morning. He said two more local task forces would be deployed to Beaver County.
The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for western, northern, central and southwestern Oklahoma. Scientists at the service are concerned about fire weather today.
“Whereas yesterday was very concerning for northwest Oklahoma *only*, today will be a less-extreme environment, but across a much broader portion of Oklahoma/western north Texas,” NWS officials wrote on social media.
Meteorologists expect wind gusts up to 40 miles an hour Wednesday and Thursday tomorrow along with relatively low humidity and warm temperatures.
The mix of conditions means any developing fires will spread rapidly so outdoor burning is not recommended.
The rest of the state is under a fire weather watch.
The fires were particularly devastating in Woodward. Local police ordered evacuations late Tuesday afternoon. About 4,000 people were evacuated as the fire moved toward the city, eventually destroying three structures, including two at a local USDA facility. Nearly all of those evacuation orders were lifted late Tuesday night, although shelters remained open for people who needed them.
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