Wildfire News RoundUp: Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas

kfoxtv; NWS; foxnews; USDA; FW Star-Telegram; HouChronicle ^ | 1-08-06 | Various

[Rte66]

Okla. Gov. Calls For Prayer During Fires

OKLAHOMA CITY -- Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry is urging residents to observe a statewide Day of Prayer today, Sunday, January 8, 2006.

He issued the executive proclamation earlier this week because of wildfire outbreaks across the state. The governor said he's asking Oklahomans to join him in prayer for the victims, exhausted firefighters, and first responders. He also wants residents to pray for rain.

Unseasonably high temperatures and high winds continue to trigger the wildfires. The conditions are expected to continue through January.

Grass fires have killed two people in Oklahoma and have burned across more than 363,000 acres. More than 220 homes and businesses have been destroyed.

--------

RED FLAG WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK 145 AM CST SUN JAN 8 2006

...CRITICAL AND POTENTIALLY LIFE THREATENING FIRE DANGER WILL PERSIST THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS MOST OF OKLAHOMA AND NORTH TEXAS...

.WINDY AND EXTRAORDINARILY DRY CONDITIONS THIS MORNING ARE MAINTAINING EXTREME TO CRITICAL FIRE DANGER LEVELS ACROSS NEARLY ALL OF OKLAHOMA AND NORTHERN TEXAS. RELATIVE HUMIDITY LEVELS AT 1 AM WERE ONLY IN THE 8 TO 20 PERCENT RANGE ACROSS MOST OF THE AREA...AND SOUTHWEST WINDS WERE AVERAGING 15 TO 25 MPH WITH GUSTS IN THE 30 TO 40 MPH RANGE. ALTHOUGH WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO SUBSIDE LATER TODAY...AND HIGH TEMPERATURES THIS AFTERNOON ARE NOT EXPECTED TO BE QUITE AS HIGH AS THEY WERE ON SATURDAY...IT WILL STILL BE EXCEPTIONALLY WARM AND DRY THROUGH THE REST OF THE MORNING AND THROUGHOUT THE DAY TODAY. THEREFORE...THE RED FLAG WARNING HAS BEEN EXPANDED TO INCLUDE THE REST OF WESTERN AND NORTHERN OKLAHOMA.

.....

LARGE FIRES HAVE BEEN REPORTED OVERNIGHT TO THE SOUTH AND EAST OF FORT SMITH...AND TO THE SOUTH OF MUSKOGEE. ANY FIRES TODAY WILL QUICKLY SPREAD OUT OF CONTROL AND HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO ENDANGER LIVES AND PROPERTY. REPORT ANY FIRES IMMEDIATELY TO LOCAL OFFICIALS.

--------

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180982,00.html

Wildfires Blaze Across Oklahoma, Texas Saturday, January 07, 2006

MEEKER, Okla. — A fast-moving wildfire burned about 100 acres Saturday, and two volunteer firefighters were injured after they were thrown from the back of fire trucks trying to escape the flames.

The blaze was among more than 20 wildfires that burned across Oklahoma on Saturday, fueled by drought-like conditions and gusty winds. Texas firefighters battled wildfires across eight counties.

.....

In Texas, a welder was blamed for a large fire burning southwest of the Comanche Peak nuclear power plant in Hood County, but the plant was not threatened, said Traci Weaver, spokeswoman for the Texas Forest Service.

One of the largest fires was a blaze near Sayre in western Oklahoma that had destroyed 1,000 acres by Saturday afternoon. Two separate 300-acre fires were reported near Tulsa, Bays [spokesman at the state command center] said.

.....

Grass fires started by as little as a spark from a car or downed power lines have burned more than 600,000 acres across a drought-stricken stretch of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico in the past two weeks. The fires have destroyed at least 470 homes and killed five people.

--------

Large Incident Fires - Map for Week of January 7, 2006

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

--------

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/13578729.htm

Posted on Sun, Jan. 08, 2006 Fire destroys house, damages nearby properties

By MITCH MITCHELL STAR-TELEGRAM STAFF WRITER

MANSFIELD -- A two-story house was destroyed in one of several grass fires in the Tarrant County area Saturday. No injuries were reported.

The Mansfield homeowner called the Fire Department about 2:55 p.m. to report a grass fire in the back yard of his house, in the 2400 block of Chenille Way, officials said. He was told to immediately evacuate his family, said Eric Peterson, Mansfield assistant fire chief.

Arriving firefighters saw smoke coming from the roof and split their efforts between protecting nearby homes and putting out the primary fire, Peterson said. The fire burned the yards and fence lines of about eight homes adjacent to the one that was destroyed, but those houses got only heat damage, Peterson said.

.....

In south Arlington, a brush fire burned about 1.5 acres along Fish Creek but threatened no structures, Battalion Chief J.M. McQueary said. The fire was reported about 5 p.m., and firefighters set up a command post in the 2400 block of Esquire Drive.

The fire was bounded by a parking lot behind a Kroger shopping center at Green Oaks Boulevard and Texas 360 and Fish Creek, protecting other nearby structures, McQueary said.

Also in south Arlington, a blaze about 10:30 a.m. burned an easement behind the 6000 block of Maple Leaf Drive near an apartment complex and several homes. The fire damaged fences in the area. Firefighters said the damage might have been greater had the grass and brush not been cleared from the property.

--------

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3571391.html

Jan. 6, 2006, 11:04PM Minutes after burn ban ordered, a blaze erupts Tractor exhaust blamed for one of two grass fires in Brazoria County

By RICHARD STEWART Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

ANGLETON - An outdoor burning ban in Brazoria County got off to a blazing start when a grass fire consumed about 120 acres and a marsh fire burned 500 to 700 acres.

.....

The hot exhaust of a small tractor is being blamed for the fire near the Suncreek Ranch subdivision in Rosharon on Thursday.

That fire started at noon, about 30 minutes after Brazoria County Judge John Willy ordered that there be no outside burning in unincorporated parts of the county.

In another case, what had been planned as a contained marsh fire at the San Bernard National Wildlife Refuge in southwest Brazoria County became an uncontrolled fire Thursday when it jumped a fire control line.

That fire is expected to continue for several more days, said Jason Cole, fire management officer of the preserve.

It is in a remote area and threatens no structures, Cole said. He said it will probably burn until it reaches the Intra- coastal Waterway.

.....

The Brazoria County fires were just two of 139 wildfires that have consumed 193,500 acres of Texas grasslands and forests since the start of the year ...

.....

Alvin firefighters quickly put out a fire that consumed about 20 acres Friday ...

[Rte66]

Day of Prayer in OK Today; excerpts of main wildfire stories from Sat & Sun in OK, TX, AR

[Rte66]

Another dangerous weekend in Fire Country. Be careful out there!

(Sorry I couldn't make the URLs activate--I tried!)

[No Blue States]

Cross reference - Tx Gov Perry orders investigation of Texas arson.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1554055/posts?page=2

What I wouldnt give for a 3" rain right now.

[Rte66]

Maybe the Sooners' prayers will do it for us. Yeesh, what if it rains in Oklahoma and not in Texas?

[No Blue States]

I would be happy if anyone got some rain at this point.
Imagine how this summer will be if we dont get the spring rains.

[Rte66]

Here are the clickable story links:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,180982,00.html

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/

http://www.dfw.com/mld/dfw/13578729.htm

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/metropolitan/3571391.html

[No Blue States]

Wow, the map shows OK is really getting torched.
Yall must have an arsonist too, maybe its the same one.
He could drive to OK in a few hrs.

A quarter million acres in Tx, hundreds of homes, and several deaths. When they catch this lunatic they should give him the DP by staking him in the middle of a dry field on a windy day and lighting it.

[swmobuffalo]

It's beginning to get really iffy in my part of Missouri. If it doesn't rain soon, we will end up just like Texas and Arkansas. The fishing this spring is going to really suck if we don't get some really good rains. The lakes and ponds are so low the fish are either dead or so far out in the main channels you can't catch them from the bank.

[No Blue States]

A local lake here in the DFW area (Benbrook) is lower than I have ever seen it. Its 15'low and dropping.
You can literally walk across the upper end.
Some serious water rationing is going to occur if the clouds dont open up soon.

I bet those with cattle, crops, and farms are really having a hard time.

[Rte66]

Did you see one of the farmers in the articles said his granddaddy always told him to keep hay, because it's "money in the bank." A bale that went for $9 last year is going for $18.50 this year and they're having to get it trucked in from NM.

The cattle farmer says hay won't do you much good if you don't have any water. (for the cattle - if they can't drink, they sure won't be around to eat)

[El Gato]

Oklahoma Gov. Brad Henry is urging residents to observe a statewide Day of Prayer today,

The Guv will likely be getting a call from the ACLU and their clients the atheists.

[Rte66]

Maybe not - it's possible they don't know where Oklahoma is. Sssssh!

[Okies love Dubya 2]

Maybe not - it's possible they don't know where Oklahoma is. Sssssh!

And that's the way we like it :) I saw the smoke from that fire in Meeker yesterday (we live just about 5 or less miles south of there). There was another one up towards the same general area earlier this week, judging by the smoke I saw. We had one on the north side of Shawnee last Sunday, which was very small and knocked down quickly. Today one of the petitions at Mass was for the firefighters and for rain!

[Rte66]

"Today one of the petitions at Mass was for the firefighters and for rain!"

Love to hear that!

[Rte66]

Southern Colorado now reporting two large wildfires; 5 houses have been destroyed; 50mph winds. Huerfano and Las Animas Counties, near New Mexico line.

Also, a wildfire near Coalgate, OK, that charred 900 acres yesterday is still burning--authorities worried that the wind shift to the north could box in the firefighters.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/nation/3573355.html

[Rte66]

A little more info on OK wildfires and some locations:

http://www.newsok.com/article/1727286/?template=home/main

"Firefighters jump into action to battle wildfires
........
Firefighters across the state jumped into action Saturday afternoon, with more than 20 wildfires reported to a state command center in Shawnee.
........
A large grass fire broke out near an elementary school in north Edmond and quickly swept into an adjacent field, fueled by dry conditions and wind gusts up to 25 miles per hour.

There were no immediate reports of structure fires or injuries, but the fire moved toward the Oak Tree Country Club golf course and a neighborhood of new homes.
........
Two separate 300-acre fires were reported near Tulsa ....
........
Additional fire crews were sent to Shawnee, Stillwater, Bartlesville, Ada and Ardmore to prepare for additional grassfires, while Oklahoma City fire crews geared up with nine extra brush pumpers."

[Rte66]

The fire map is showing a fire today in "Pumkin Center, OK [sic]".

LOL, it's bad enough that it's spelled wrong, but there are two Pumpkin Center's in Oklahoma. I knew of one in Comanche County, east of Lawton, but the fire map is showing another one entirely.

Of the online street maps, no two show (so far) both Pumpkin Centers. Each shows one or the other.

I finally tracked down the one shown on the fire map. It is in Okmulgee County. (And it is spelled "Pumpkin Center.")

The Pumpkin Center in Okmulgee County is north of US 62 (town of Eram) and east of SH 52 and south of SH 16 (Bald Hill Rd); approximately halfway between Okmulgee and Muskogee.

Hope no one is in the path of that fire and that those fighting the fires there know where it is!

[Sally'sConcerns]

http://activefiremaps.fs.fed.us/conus/viewer.htm

This should be a link to fires which are active within the last 12 hours in Oklahoma and Arkansas. Be warned, it takes a little while for the map to load. Use the layers on the right hand side to set the map parameters. You can also click on an area of the map and it will zoom in closer.

The fire closest to me is in the Arbuckle Mountain area near Interstate 35 in Oklahoma. From the information elsewhere on the website it involves some 18,000 acres.

The wind we had earlier is now gone. It's very still outside and warm for this time of the year.

[Sally'sConcerns]

Major fire on north side of Marlow and approaching Rush Springs.

Update: Fire has created its own weather and is now moving North towards Marlow.

[Sally'sConcerns]

Update: Smoke from our fire is noticable on radar. In the center between 35 and 44.

Highway 81 is shut down both ways in between Rush Springs and Marlow.

For those familiar with the area: County Line to Ballpark Road in Marlow are the N - S location.

http://radar.weather.gov/radar.php?rid=fdr&product=N0R&overlay=11101111&loop=no