The Oklahoma Forestry Service is taking no chances and expanding its wildfire fighting operations to western Oklahoma as the threat grows of extreme wildfire conditions on Friday.
“Friday will bring a statewide threat for High Significant
Wildfire potential meaning that fires exceeding 5,000 acres are
increasingly likely given fire weather and wildland fuels forecasts. Furthermore, conditions on Friday continue to trend toward Wildfire Outbreak and a Firestorm cannot be ruled out.”
In a Thursday update, the OFS said it had mobilized firefighting aviation resources to Burns Flat and sent a Suppression Group to Weatherford. It previously had groups in Guthrie and Woodward in preparation for what is expected as winds will be gusting.
“Oklahoma has entered the climatological peak of the
dormant fire season and the fire environment is primed to support potential for a wildfire outbreak in the coming days. Increasing fire weather concern over dormant vegetation today builds into Friday with little to no relief expected heading into next week when another episode of critical fire weather is expected,” stated the OFS.
It had issued a Red Flag Warning for the Oklahoma Panhandle and Northwestern Oklahoma. Most of the state was expected to be under the same warning throughout Friday.
Firefighters on Thursday were still dealing with wildfires across the state.
Ongoing Large / Significant Fire Activity within the OFS Protection Area:(>100 Acres Timber / >300 Acres Grass/Brush)
• Low Gap Lookout Fire (Haskell County) – 394 Acres / 80% Contained
• Stanley Fire (Delaware County) – 295 / 40% Contained
• Hamby Ridge Fire (Delaware County) – 550 Acres / 30% Contained
• Scraper Hollow Creek Fire (Cherokee County) – 165 Acres / 70% Contained
• Gravel Pit Fire (Adair County) – 124 Acres / 60% Contained
• Eagle Bluff Fire (Cherokee County) – 120 Acres / 70% Contained
• Slickfoot Fire (Delaware County) – 289 Acres / 70% Contained
• Scraper Hollow Creek Fire (Cherokee County) – 165 Acres / 70% Contained
• New State Fire (Pittsburg County) – 200 Acres / 90% Contained
• Gray Squirrel Hollow Fire (Adair County) – 730 Acres / 65% Contained
Fire Activity with OFS Response Outside of the Protection Area: 1 Fire Burned 170 Acres
• Old College Road Fire (Coal County) – 170 Acres / 60% Contained
• 5600 Fire (Pawnee County) – 70 Acres/1 Structure / 68% Contained
• House Creek Fire (Pawnee County) – 245 Acres / 68% Contained