Wildfires scorch thousands of acres in northeastern Oklahoma
The Associated Press - February 5, 2018 10:59 am
HOMINY, Okla. (AP) – Firefighters say wildfires have scorched thousands of acres of dry grasslands in northeastern Oklahoma.
Dozens of firefighters fought a grassfire along Oklahoma Highway 20 in Osage County Saturday evening that officials say burned up to 10,000 acres. Officials say another large fire in Mayes County burned hundreds of acres more.
Authorities say no homes or other structures were damaged in the fires and no injuries were reported.
The Oklahoma National Guard used helicopters to drop large buckets of water to help fight the Osage County fire.
The National Weather Service says the combination of dry air, windy conditions and warm temperatures will likely create critical wildfire conditions across the state. Mayes County Emergency Management Director Michael Dunham says a small spark is all it takes to ignite the dry grasslands.