Agricultural News
This Week's Fires Engulf 57,440 Acres- Insurance Commissioner John Doak Says Be Fire Wise, Fire Ready
Sat, 20 Feb 2016 07:19:03 CST
Firefighters got a break from Mother Nature on Friday as winds were calmer than Thursday. High temperatures and low humidity kept the fire danger high, but the lighter winds made a difference. Oklahoma Forestry Services is estimating over 57,440 acres burned over the last 36 hour period(as of Friday evening).
One of the state officials monitoring the fire situation is Oklahoma State Insurance Commissioner John Doak. Radio Oklahoma Ag Network Farm Director Ron Hays talked with Doak at the AFR state Convention Friday afternoon in Norman. He praised the efforts of rural firefighters and urged homeowners to continue to work on making their homes and the land surrounding their homesteads as safe as possible from a possible fire - "be fire wise, be fire ready if you are in rural Oklahoma and take those risk management precautions around your home."
You can hear Ron and Commissioner Doak by clicking on the LISTEN BAR below.
"Thursdays fires burned actively through the night, but the weather gave us a chance to get a handle on several fires during the day Friday," said George Geissler, Oklahoma State Forester. "There is plenty of firefighting still going on, with some fires remaining unstaffed due to lack of resources."
The largest acreage fire are:
• Buffalo fire (Harper County)--17, 280 acres
• Pharoah fire (Okfuskee County) 13,722 acres
• Sand Creek fire (Okfuskee County) 5,239 acres
• Tallgrass fire (Osage County) 3739 acres
• Nuyaka fire (Okmulgee County) 3,417 acres
• Pawnee Cove fire (Pawnee County) 3,420 acres
The Pharoah fire, which began six miles east of Okemah, continued to grow Friday into the evening and firefighters will continue suppression efforts Saturday. The weekend forecast calls for some moisture, which will keep relative humidity higher than the last few days. "Lighter winds helped today and if the high humidity does occur we can really get some good work completed this weekend," said Geissler.
Reports indicate numerous structures have been lost during these wildfires. Oklahoma Emergency Management damage assessments are ongoing.
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