Firestorm
This morning the sky was heavy with clouds and it looked like it might storm. I checked the weather and it said that storms were not forecast. Instead, a dry line was coming, and that when it passed, the wind would shift to the southwest, humidity would drop rapidly, wildfires were possible and that blowing smoke and dust conditions may be expected.
I worked through lunch to make up time, so didn't leave the office all day. When I was exiting the building the closer I got to the ground floor, the more I could smell smoke. When I exited the building the smell of smoke was clear and they sky looked yellowish (but not like that dust storm on February 24, 2006 when the sky turned tan, the Lewisville Lake turned a weird shade of green, and we were expecting it to rain frogs).
When I got home, zenfultx said they were having major fires in southern Oklahoma. Here, we're coughing, even indoors, and there is reduced visibility. I called up to The Farm, and here was Mom's report.
There is a large fire about 15 km to the west, but the winds are blowing from the west, and the farm is socked in with smoke. Visibility was reduced to less than 800 meters. She had a hard time getting home from the post office because they started blocking off roads. She just drove around the fire department people to get home. Other relatives are having problems with the smoke and still others are taking necessary precautions, such as moving vehicles and airplanes off of grassy areas and hooking up fire fighting equipment to tractors and such. Mom also reported power had been out for about a half-hour, and she worried how they would hear news reports about fires, evacuations, or bad weather without it. Wind gusts reached 88 km/h at The Farm, and have been blowing wildly all day like they do when tornadoes are coming.
I checked the local news up there:
Murray County, Oklahoma
A large fire just west of I-35 has forced the closure of I-35 at Davis. Parts of Davis are evacuated. Another fire is burning in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur.
Carter County, Oklahoma
Several large fires are burning in the county, including a very large one on the north side of Healdton, another large fire near Graham and Fox, and about a dozen others. I-35 is closed through Carter County, as are Highways 53 and 76. Healdton, Tatums, Fox, Graham, Ratliff City, and Sneed are evacuated. Power is out in Healdton, Fox, Ratliff City, and Ardmore. Many structures have burned, including the Baptist Church in Fox, the Fox Fire Department, Graham Fire Station, Champion Chemical Plant, and outbuildings at Fox High School. Another news report says several homes and other structures have burned north of Lone Grove.
Stephens County, Oklahoma
Velma and Loco are evacuated.
Love County, Oklahoma
Western Love County and northern Love County north of Oswalt Road and west of I-35 are evacuated. Ashfall is falling from the air, and at least one home has been reported burned.
Montague County, Texas
Saint Jo is evacuated. Fires are burning at Dye Mound and Starkey. One structure has been burned at Dye Mound. A large fire is burning on the north side of Bowie, and the elementary school was evacuated earlier today. Inmates at the county jail have been evacuated to Cooke County. A fire at Sunset destroyed a home where there are not enough firefighters to protect rural areas. Highway 287 is closed in this area.
Elsewhere in Oklahoma
On the NexRad radar, I can see smoke from fires in Oklahoma, Cleveland, and McClain Counties. This same weather system is creating a tornado and severe weather outbreak in eastern Oklahoma along the Arkansas border, and into western Arkansas.
Elsewhere in north Texas
Out-of-control fires are burning
* near Abilene and Clyde in Callahan County where schools were evacuated
* near Weatherford, Lake Hills Estates, and Hudson Oaks in Parker County where portions of town are evacuated and where four structures have burned, and another fire at Lake Mineral Wells State Park where structures have burned
* near Post Oak, Roberts Branch, and Bryson in Jack County, and FM-2127 is closed
* a 32 km2 wildfire in Wilbarger and Wichita County which burned businesses near Electra
* in Wise County (likely the source of our smoke), where two structures and a home were burned near Booneville and where a portion of the area is evacuated
* in Young County where neighborhoods in Graham are evacuated
* in Eastland County where Morton Valley and Yellow Mound are evacuated
* and in Johnson, Palo Pinto, Hood, and Stephens Counties.
Delays at DFW Airport due to high winds and heavy smoke have reached 2 hours. The smoke is visible on weather radar.
Helicopter news crews are reporting that the windy dry conditions are blowing tree branches against power lines and causing sparks, which may be how many of these fires started. Humidity has dropped to below 10%.
I worked through lunch to make up time, so didn't leave the office all day. When I was exiting the building the closer I got to the ground floor, the more I could smell smoke. When I exited the building the smell of smoke was clear and they sky looked yellowish (but not like that dust storm on February 24, 2006 when the sky turned tan, the Lewisville Lake turned a weird shade of green, and we were expecting it to rain frogs).
When I got home, zenfultx said they were having major fires in southern Oklahoma. Here, we're coughing, even indoors, and there is reduced visibility. I called up to The Farm, and here was Mom's report.
There is a large fire about 15 km to the west, but the winds are blowing from the west, and the farm is socked in with smoke. Visibility was reduced to less than 800 meters. She had a hard time getting home from the post office because they started blocking off roads. She just drove around the fire department people to get home. Other relatives are having problems with the smoke and still others are taking necessary precautions, such as moving vehicles and airplanes off of grassy areas and hooking up fire fighting equipment to tractors and such. Mom also reported power had been out for about a half-hour, and she worried how they would hear news reports about fires, evacuations, or bad weather without it. Wind gusts reached 88 km/h at The Farm, and have been blowing wildly all day like they do when tornadoes are coming.
I checked the local news up there:
Murray County, Oklahoma
A large fire just west of I-35 has forced the closure of I-35 at Davis. Parts of Davis are evacuated. Another fire is burning in the Chickasaw National Recreation Area near Sulphur.
Carter County, Oklahoma
Several large fires are burning in the county, including a very large one on the north side of Healdton, another large fire near Graham and Fox, and about a dozen others. I-35 is closed through Carter County, as are Highways 53 and 76. Healdton, Tatums, Fox, Graham, Ratliff City, and Sneed are evacuated. Power is out in Healdton, Fox, Ratliff City, and Ardmore. Many structures have burned, including the Baptist Church in Fox, the Fox Fire Department, Graham Fire Station, Champion Chemical Plant, and outbuildings at Fox High School. Another news report says several homes and other structures have burned north of Lone Grove.
Stephens County, Oklahoma
Velma and Loco are evacuated.
Love County, Oklahoma
Western Love County and northern Love County north of Oswalt Road and west of I-35 are evacuated. Ashfall is falling from the air, and at least one home has been reported burned.
Montague County, Texas
Saint Jo is evacuated. Fires are burning at Dye Mound and Starkey. One structure has been burned at Dye Mound. A large fire is burning on the north side of Bowie, and the elementary school was evacuated earlier today. Inmates at the county jail have been evacuated to Cooke County. A fire at Sunset destroyed a home where there are not enough firefighters to protect rural areas. Highway 287 is closed in this area.
Elsewhere in Oklahoma
On the NexRad radar, I can see smoke from fires in Oklahoma, Cleveland, and McClain Counties. This same weather system is creating a tornado and severe weather outbreak in eastern Oklahoma along the Arkansas border, and into western Arkansas.
Elsewhere in north Texas
Out-of-control fires are burning
* near Abilene and Clyde in Callahan County where schools were evacuated
* near Weatherford, Lake Hills Estates, and Hudson Oaks in Parker County where portions of town are evacuated and where four structures have burned, and another fire at Lake Mineral Wells State Park where structures have burned
* near Post Oak, Roberts Branch, and Bryson in Jack County, and FM-2127 is closed
* a 32 km2 wildfire in Wilbarger and Wichita County which burned businesses near Electra
* in Wise County (likely the source of our smoke), where two structures and a home were burned near Booneville and where a portion of the area is evacuated
* in Young County where neighborhoods in Graham are evacuated
* in Eastland County where Morton Valley and Yellow Mound are evacuated
* and in Johnson, Palo Pinto, Hood, and Stephens Counties.
Delays at DFW Airport due to high winds and heavy smoke have reached 2 hours. The smoke is visible on weather radar.
Helicopter news crews are reporting that the windy dry conditions are blowing tree branches against power lines and causing sparks, which may be how many of these fires started. Humidity has dropped to below 10%.