There’s a higher risk of wildfire in much of Oklahoma.
The Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management is warning of an elevated to near-critical fire risk because of dry, windy and warm weather. The department is urging people to be mindful and take steps to prevent wildfires, in a warning issued yesterday.
The National Weather Service has a list of how people can prevent wildfires. Wildfire prevention includes properly discarding cigarettes, keeping vehicles off dry grass and obey burn bans.
Most wildfires in Oklahoma happen from the late fall to early spring, according to the Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension.
Drought has reared its head in recent months, as it typically does in the colder months, leaving dry vegetation on the ground. That, coupled with high winds, increases the risk.
A red flag warning was in effect for much of northwest Oklahoma yesterday. Although wildfire risk was higher then, it will seep into the weekend, according to the service.
The service’s scientists warned elevated fire conditions will return this afternoon, especially across western Oklahoma.
Gary McManus, Oklahoma’s State Climatologist, wrote in the Thursday Mesonet Tickerthat a cold front bringing cooler temperatures and higher wind speeds adds fire danger over the next few days.
But don’t expect the more normal cooler temperatures to stay because temperatures are expected to climb, reaching into the low 70s next week.
McManus wrote that Christmas Day will get close to the warmest on record.
“Here’s the deal about the Christmas Day forecast…it’s still 8 days away (Christmas Day, not the forecast),” McManus wrote. “Things can change a bit before then, but as of now, prepare for shorts and a t-shirt as you ride on your one horse open sleigh to Grandma’s house.
“Just pretend you’re in Australia…it’s summer there,” McManus wrote.
This article was originally published by KOSU. You can see the original story here.