March 11, 2024
During a recent appearance on KECO’s The Early Morning Show, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt talked about the recent wildfires in Texas and Oklahoma and the relief efforts that have come from the state.
He said as soon as the fires broke out a couple weeks ago, he activated multiple agencies and also signed an executive order to help expedite the process of transporting much needed hay for livestock in the affected areas.
As a result, a convoy of 6 semis and 8 hay bale dump trucks delivered over 250 bales of round bale hay to a location near Arnett on Saturday alone.
The Smokehouse Creek Fire, which originated near Stinnett, Texas on February 26 and had crossed over into Ellis and Roger Mills Counties, has consumed over 1,058,000 acres and is currently 89% contained.
According to the March 11 Fire Situation Report filed by the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food & Forestry, fire weather could be returning to the area this week saying “Fire danger will continue to increase through Wednesday in western Oklahoma ahead of two approaching cold fronts. A weak cold front will attempt to push into far northwestern Oklahoma Tuesday evening before retreating back north. Very low relative humidity values along and west of a line from Woods County to Beckham County on Tuesday that show little promise of recovering overnight extending the burning period. Wednesday will present a bit more widespread fire weather and wildfire concern in western Oklahoma with warm, dry and breezy conditions”.
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