Wildfires taking toll in northern Oklahoma
Filed by Michael Cross in Feature, Local News, News.
August 9, 2011
Firefighters in northern Oklahoma are keeping an eye on any hot spots after a wildfire tore through the area burning 18,000 acres and 40 homes.
Wildfires have burned more than 250,000 acres so far this year and what little rain the state is getting isn’t helping under triple digit heat.
Michelle Finch-Walker with the Oklahoma Forestry Services says it’s going to get worse as we head into September.
“What you start to see picking up is wind. When you add wind to wildfires with this kind of high temperature we’re going to see the fire size grow the fire behavior get more extreme.”
Climatologists say it could be later in the fall before any real relief from the drought is realized.
Governor Fallin has issued a burn ban for the entire state although outdoor grilling is still allowed.
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