Oklahoma Forestry Services, a division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry wants the public to be aware of the increasing potential for extreme wildland fires to occur across much of the state.
“Conditions are deteriorating,” said Oklahoma State Forester George Geissler. “Fire behavior is nearing the point where firefighters’ initial attack will be unsuccessful and long duration wildfires can happen.”
Although the occurrence of wildfires to date has been lower, exceptionally dry fuels, heat advisories, increasing winds and no expectation for substantial rainfall results in increased fire danger situations similar to that of last year.
A wildfire can be sparked by common activities like lawn mowing or harvesting a crop. Early spring rains resulted in a rapid greening of lawns, pastures and hay meadows. At the time, this lowered the fire potential and was a welcome sight for Oklahoma homeowners and hay producers. However, with persistent drought these same areas now contain dry fuels that are highly flammable.
From The Times News: https://pryordailytimes.com/local/x1923102570/Extreme-potential-for-wildland-fires-warned