Agricultural News
Severe Weather in the Forecast with Fire Danger Throughout the Week
Mon, 11 Apr 2022 09:14:28 CDT
Rain and storms are exiting northeastern Oklahoma this morning where some locally heavy rainfall occurred in the overnight hours with a smattering of rain in parts of east-central Oklahoma while fire danger remains entrenched in western Oklahoma. Fire weather will not be as concerning today as it has been in previous days noting that fuels conditions are critically dry, especially west of US 81 emphasizing northwest and Panhandle counties. Less than critical fire weather will support potential for problematic fire behavior given the current state of fuels. Fires today will exhibit resistance to control due to low composite fuel moisture, although initial attack activities are expected to be successful in large part. Fire activity today will require thorough mop up in advance of extreme fire danger on Tuesday across western Oklahoma. The combination of fuels condition and fire weather in western Oklahoma on Tuesday is ominous as a dryline penetrates into Oklahoma as one of the ingredients for significant wildfire potential while the severe weather threat ramps up in central and eastern Oklahoma. High probability of significant fire occurrence is present with outbreak conditions probable.
Today: Elevated fire weather fire today in western Oklahoma over critically dry fuels will hold potential for large fire occurrence in place given any ignition in rangeland fuels. Rainfall in the northeast, sky cover over much of eastern Oklahoma and higher afternoon relative humidity values generally east of I-35. Energy Release Component values have eclipsed the 90th Percentile along and west of US 81 with some locations at near-record value. With fuels in this state, high resistance to control is fully expected and normal tactics will be less effective. Wetlines alone should not be expected to hold a fireline in place in rangeland, brush or timber fuels and frontal assault should be avoided.
• Western Oklahoma: Temperatures will be in the 70°'s across much of the area with some 80° observations along the Red River coupled with afternoon relative humidity values 12-21% under mostly clear skies. Fine-dead fuel moisture values will register 4% across much of the area with potential for some 3% observation in the western Panhandle. Winds will be southerly in the Panhandle counties and variable in direction in western Oklahoma. Winds will be sustained 16-23 mph with higher gusts especially in the western Panhandle. On established fires, rangeland fuels will exhibit head fire rates of spread 153-230 ft/min with flame lengths 11-16 ft. Single/group tree torching should be expected, and more rapid rates of fire spread may occur where fuels are in alignment with wind direction and topography.
• Central / Eastern Oklahoma: Higher relative humidity values along with some sky cover and rainfall northeast will prompt lower fire danger indices that in previous days. Initial attack efforts are expected to be successful.
Near-Term: Tuesday, April 12, will present potential for an ominous situation in Oklahoma Extreme fire danger west and severe storm potential east. With regard to the fire danger, the conditions will be eerily similar to April 12, 2018 when the Rhea Fire, 34 Complex and Shaw Fire occurred along with several other impactful fires in Oklahoma. A Red Flag Warning is in effect for Tuesday across Western Oklahoma, and the fire environment will be supportive of significant fire occurrence (+5,000 Acres) with wildfire outbreak conditions probable. Any fire that starts will prove challenging to suppress and fire occurrence in contiguous rangeland fuels will likely transition to extreme fire behavior soon after ignition. Rangeland fuels, especially in northwest Oklahoma and eastern Oklahoma Panhandle will have potential to exhibit head fire rates of spread 3.1-5.1 mph, spotting to 1/4 mile and extreme fireline intensity. Emergency Management and Law Enforcement Agencies should be prepared to facilitate evacuations.
Burn Bans:
Refer to: https://ag.ok.gov/divisions/forestry-services/ for the most current burn ban information and links to specific burn ban proclamations.
OFS STATISTICS for April 10, 2021 OFS Preparedness Level: 1 - 2 - 3 - - 5
NE Area 5 Fires Burned 102 Acres (Cause: 5-Incendiary)
EC Area 2 Fires Burned 211 Acres (Cause: 1-Escaped Debris, 1-Electrical)
SE Area 4 Fires Burned 363 Acres (Cause: 4-Incendiary)
Large / Significant Fire Activity within the OFS Protection Area:
• East Fork Glover Fire (McCurtain County)- 220 Acres / 30% Contained
• Ti Valley North Fire (Pittsburg County) 200 Acres / 70% Contained
• Crystal Cave Fire (Cherokee County) 1,000 Acres (est.) / 70% Contained
• Tram Road Fire (Pushmataha County) 163 Acres / 75% Contained
• Moonshine Trail Fire (McCurtain County) 361 Acres / 100% Contained
• Tongue Fire (Pittsburg County) 126 Acres / 75% Contained
• Aggie Flats Fire (Cherokee County) 240 Acres / 85%
Fire Activity with OFS Response outside of the Protection Area: 4 New Fires Burned 208 Acres
• 23 Fire (Beaver County) 15,040Acres / 80% Contained
• North Canadian Fire (Harper County) 1,364 Acres / 95% Contained
• Beaver River Fire (Beaver County) 24,537 Acres / 100% Contained
OFS Prescribed Fire Activity: No New Activity
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