OK & KS dealing with wild fires & TX has dust storms...

Crews again fighting wildfires in Oklahoma, Kansas

Eleena Frisco
07 Abril 2016, 12:50

Under the executive order, state agencies can make emergency purchases and acquisitions needed to expedite the delivery of resources to local jurisdictions. Wildfires in Kansas forced 150 people to flee. Firefighters continue to monitor hotspots for flare-ups, officials said.

Val and Amy Castor, the WTVN storm trackers, came across a field fire on Tuesday.
According to official estimates, wildfires swept through about 40 square miles of land in Oklahoma alone.  The 350 Complex wildfire burns in Oklahoma on Wednesday.

For Woodward County residents, Tuesday's flames might feel like a little too much too soon: the town of Freedom is just five miles away from where the record-breaking Anderson Creek Fire broke out for unknown reasons two weeks ago. There were multiple reports of houses destroyed, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported. The blaze, formed by four separate wildfires, has charred 55,000 acres, destroyed several homes and prompted the evacuations of hundreds of residents.

There were no injuries reported apart from the firefighter who went to the hospital with heat exhaustion, Anderson said. Most of the damage was in Kansas' Barber County. It was started by power lines that were whipped around and arced by winds that were sustained at 30 miles per hour and gusted to over 50 miles per hour.

But firefighters were able to beat back the flames, and the fire was 75 percent contained as of late Tuesday night. Luther is about 25 miles northeast of Oklahoma City. Warm, dry and gusty conditions are fueling risky wildfires across Oklahoma.

In Geary County, fire crews have extinguished a large grassfire that burned approximately 6,000 acres and damaged one shed. Fire officials said the fire that burned 3,800 acres is 95 percent contained. Crews plan to survey the fire by air Wednesday morning to assess its size.

Lehenbauer says the fire also was threatening an iodine-manufacturing plant. Val Castor said the driver would have no chance to escape the vehicle before the flames reached him, so he drove near the vehicle and urged the driver to jump in their auto.

In Kansas, evacuations were underway in at least three communities.

The fire weather forecast is critical this week, due to the combination of very low humidity and strong winds.

http://tribumagazine.net/2016/04/crews-again-fighting-wildfires-in-oklahoma-kansas/