Oklahoma was subject to alert for a fire danger on Monday after being devastated by deadly flames over the weekend and against the backdrop of a constant threat of fire in the plains.
More than 40 million Americans have outlined firefighting weather over the next few days. The red flag warnings were issued by Texas to South Dakota for critical to extreme fire hazard due to the chance of strong winds and low humidity.
Parts of Oklahoma, as well as Colorado, Kansas, New Mexico and Texas, face a critical threat of fire hazard, with gusts up to 45 miles / h, along with very low humidity.
Following the deadly fires last week, the threat of fire remained increased to critical for Monday in the large plains, including much of Texas and Oklahoma.
ABC News
Against the backdrop of the threat, a “dangerous” fire lit in southeastern Gutri, Oklahoma, the US National Meteorological Service in Norman said on Monday afternoon while calling for residents in the area to evacuate immediately.
The ongoing threat of fire comes after four people were killed and over 140 wounded in Oklahoma due to heavy winds and raging wild fires that caught fire on Friday, officials said.
More than 130 fires were reported in 44 counties, the Ministry of Emergency Situations in Oklahoma said on Friday.
Air view of a home, destroyed on Friday, Friday, March 16, 2025, in Styter, Okla.
Scott Olson/Getty Images
More than 400 homes and structures have been damaged in the fires, the agency said. This includes the ranch of Oklahoma’s government Kevin Shield near Luther; The governor said his country house had experienced a “complete loss” in the fires on Friday.
“We will recover with all Oklahoma,” he said in a video published on social media over the weekend.
Stillwater fire chief Terry Esari told ABC News on Monday that 75 structures in his area had erupted on Friday after numerous wild fires broke out against the backdrop of strong winds, which made challenging conditions.
“The wind was blowing so hard,” Esari said. “It was a very helpless feeling, but you just behave on it. You do what you can, save whatever you can, and continue to move on to the next and help as many people as possible.”
Fire Burns Residences during a fire fire in Stillwater, Okla., March 14, 2025.
Nick Oxford/Reuters
The emergency state remains in force on Sunday in 12 counties Oklahoma due to wild fires and fire weather conditions, the Oklahoma Emergency Management Department said.
On Tuesday, the threat of fire continues in Oklahoma and increases for parts of Texas Panhandell and southeastern New Mexico, where there will be an exceptional critical risk to fire meteorological conditions. Winds can suppress 50 to 75 miles / h, combined with very low humidity and dry fuels. All fires that develop under these conditions can spread easily and will be very difficult to control.
The fire threat will be even worse on Tuesday with an exceptional risk of fire in Western Texas.
ABC News
ABC News and James Scholz have contributed to this report.
