Latest news with #KeithMerckx
Nahar Net
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Nahar Net
As Oklahoma reels from deadly wildfires, authorities warn of fresh fire threat
by Naharnet Newsdesk 18 March 2025, 14:37 With Oklahomans still reeling from deadly wildfires that whipped across the state and destroyed hundreds of homes in recent days, authorities warned that Tuesday would bring a renewed risk of fire to an area spanning from western Oklahoma through the Texas Panhandle and into southeastern New Mexico. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed in the outbreak of wildfires that started Friday in Oklahoma. At least four people died due to the fires or high winds, including a person killed in a vehicle accident as a result of poor visibility due to dust or smoke, officials said. While calm weather over the weekend helped crews get a handle on most wildfires burning across Texas and Oklahoma, forecasters at the National Weather Service said extremely critical fire weather conditions were expected Tuesday in parts of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. With wind gusts predicted to reach as high as 50 mph (80 kph) in the afternoon, along with dry conditions and "receptive fuels," fires could spread rapidly, the weather service said. "These fires, once they get started, become really hard to stop," said Keith Merckx of Oklahoma Forestry Services. "They move more quickly than our resources can keep up with." He said officials will be returning their attention to western and central Oklahoma, where high winds were expected to pick back up again over the next few days. Much of the state will be back under fire warnings beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Andrine Shufran and her husband spent Monday raking through the ashes of their home in a neighborhood in Stillwater that she said "looks like a checkerboard" after the recent fires. "There's no predictability or fairness about destroyed houses," Shufran said. "There's only two options for the homes in our neighborhood: standing or burned to the ground." Her home was one of more than 70 destroyed by wildfires in Stillwater, a city of about 50,000 about 65 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City and home to Oklahoma State University. Shufran, a director at Insect Adventure, a petting zoo that's part of OSU and the university's extension campuses, said current and former students, friends and city officials have stepped in to help her and her husband. "I've been more overwhelmed by how fantastic Oklahomans are when they're friends with you, or neighbors with you, because we've had so many people reach out," Shufran said. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce warned on Facebook on Monday afternoon of worsening fire conditions in the area. "Be prepared to take action quickly, if necessary," he wrote. Southwest of Stillwater, residents in two parts of rural Logan County were urged to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon after wildfires that already burned more than 47 square miles (120 square kilometers) in the county since Friday picked back up amid high winds and dry conditions. An evacuation shelter had been set up at the county fairgrounds in Guthrie, said Logan County Deputy Emergency Management Director Shawn Pierce. Pierce said an estimated 54 homes were destroyed in last week's fire in the county, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. About 10 fires continued to burn in Texas on Monday as officials geared up for more high winds Tuesday, said Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Erin O'Connor. Although most of the fires have been contained due to slower winds Sunday, Texas officials were expecting wildfire danger to ramp up further into the week, O'Connor said.
Boston Globe
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Boston Globe
As Oklahoma reels from deadly wildfires, authorities warn of fresh fire threat
Advertisement With wind gusts predicted to reach as high as 50 mph (80 kph) in the afternoon, along with dry conditions and 'receptive fuels,' fires could spread rapidly, the weather service said. Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up 'These fires, once they get started, become really hard to stop,' said Keith Merckx of Oklahoma Forestry Services. 'They move more quickly than our resources can keep up with.' He said officials will be returning their attention to western and central Oklahoma, where high winds were expected to pick back up again over the next few days. Much of the state will be back under fire warnings beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Andrine Shufran and her husband spent Monday raking through the ashes of their home in a neighborhood in Stillwater that she said 'looks like a checkerboard' after the recent fires. 'There's no predictability or fairness about destroyed houses,' Shufran said. 'There's only two options for the homes in our neighborhood: standing or burned to the ground.' Her home was one of more than 70 destroyed by wildfires in Stillwater, a city of about 50,000 about 65 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City and home to Oklahoma State University. Shufran, a director at Insect Adventure, a petting zoo that's part of OSU and the university's extension campuses, said current and former students, friends and city officials have stepped in to help her and her husband. Advertisement 'I've been more overwhelmed by how fantastic Oklahomans are when they're friends with you, or neighbors with you, because we've had so many people reach out,' Shufran said. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce warned on Facebook on Monday afternoon of worsening fire conditions in the area. 'Be prepared to take action quickly, if necessary,' he wrote. Southwest of Stillwater, residents in two parts of rural Logan County were urged to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon after wildfires that already burned more than 47 square miles (120 square kilometers) in the county since Friday picked back up amid high winds and dry conditions. An evacuation shelter had been set up at the county fairgrounds in Guthrie, said Logan County Deputy Emergency Management Director Shawn Pierce. Pierce said an estimated 54 homes were destroyed in last week's fire in the county, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. About 10 fires continued to burn in Texas on Monday as officials geared up for more high winds Tuesday, said Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Erin O'Connor. Although most of the fires have been contained due to slower winds Sunday, Texas officials were expecting wildfire danger to ramp up further into the week, O'Connor said. AP reporter Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
As Oklahoma reels from deadly wildfires, authorities warn of fresh fire threat
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — With Oklahomans still reeling from deadly wildfires that whipped across the state and destroyed hundreds of homes in recent days, authorities warned that Tuesday would bring a renewed risk of fire to an area spanning from western Oklahoma through the Texas Panhandle and into southeastern New Mexico. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed in the outbreak of wildfires that started Friday in Oklahoma. At least four people died due to the fires or high winds, including a person killed in a vehicle accident as a result of poor visibility due to dust or smoke, officials said. While calm weather over the weekend helped crews get a handle on most wildfires burning across Texas and Oklahoma, forecasters at the National Weather Service said extremely critical fire weather conditions were expected Tuesday in parts of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. With wind gusts predicted to reach as high as 50 mph (80 kph) in the afternoon, along with dry conditions and 'receptive fuels,' fires could spread rapidly, the weather service said. 'These fires, once they get started, become really hard to stop,' said Keith Merckx of Oklahoma Forestry Services. 'They move more quickly than our resources can keep up with.' He said officials will be returning their attention to western and central Oklahoma, where high winds were expected to pick back up again over the next few days. Much of the state will be back under fire warnings beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Andrine Shufran and her husband spent Monday raking through the ashes of their home in a neighborhood in Stillwater that she said 'looks like a checkerboard" after the recent fires. 'There's no predictability or fairness about destroyed houses,' Shufran said. 'There's only two options for the homes in our neighborhood: standing or burned to the ground.' Her home was one of more than 70 destroyed by wildfires in Stillwater, a city of about 50,000 about 65 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City and home to Oklahoma State University. Shufran, a director at Insect Adventure, a petting zoo that's part of OSU and the university's extension campuses, said current and former students, friends and city officials have stepped in to help her and her husband. 'I've been more overwhelmed by how fantastic Oklahomans are when they're friends with you, or neighbors with you, because we've had so many people reach out,' Shufran said. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce warned on Facebook on Monday afternoon of worsening fire conditions in the area. 'Be prepared to take action quickly, if necessary,' he wrote. Southwest of Stillwater, residents in two parts of rural Logan County were urged to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon after wildfires that already burned more than 47 square miles (120 square kilometers) in the county since Friday picked back up amid high winds and dry conditions. An evacuation shelter had been set up at the county fairgrounds in Guthrie, said Logan County Deputy Emergency Management Director Shawn Pierce. Pierce said an estimated 54 homes were destroyed in last week's fire in the county, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. About 10 fires continued to burn in Texas on Monday as officials geared up for more high winds Tuesday, said Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Erin O'Connor. Although most of the fires have been contained due to slower winds Sunday, Texas officials were expecting wildfire danger to ramp up further into the week, O'Connor said. ___ AP reporter Sean Murphy in Oklahoma City contributed to this report. ___ Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.
The Independent
18-03-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
As Oklahoma reels from deadly wildfires, authorities warn of fresh fire threat
With Oklahomans still reeling from deadly wildfires that whipped across the state and destroyed hundreds of homes in recent days, authorities warned that Tuesday would bring a renewed risk of fire to an area spanning from western Oklahoma through the Texas Panhandle and into southeastern New Mexico. More than 400 homes were severely damaged or destroyed in the outbreak of wildfires that started Friday in Oklahoma. At least four people died due to the fires or high winds, including a person killed in a vehicle accident as a result of poor visibility due to dust or smoke, officials said. While calm weather over the weekend helped crews get a handle on most wildfires burning across Texas and Oklahoma, forecasters at the National Weather Service said extremely critical fire weather conditions were expected Tuesday in parts of Oklahoma, Texas and New Mexico. With wind gusts predicted to reach as high as 50 mph (80 kph) in the afternoon, along with dry conditions and 'receptive fuels,' fires could spread rapidly, the weather service said. 'These fires, once they get started, become really hard to stop,' said Keith Merckx of Oklahoma Forestry Services. 'They move more quickly than our resources can keep up with.' He said officials will be returning their attention to western and central Oklahoma, where high winds were expected to pick back up again over the next few days. Much of the state will be back under fire warnings beginning at 11 a.m. Tuesday. Andrine Shufran and her husband spent Monday raking through the ashes of their home in a neighborhood in Stillwater that she said 'looks like a checkerboard" after the recent fires. 'There's no predictability or fairness about destroyed houses,' Shufran said. 'There's only two options for the homes in our neighborhood: standing or burned to the ground.' Her home was one of more than 70 destroyed by wildfires in Stillwater, a city of about 50,000 about 65 miles (100 kilometers) northeast of Oklahoma City and home to Oklahoma State University. Shufran, a director at Insect Adventure, a petting zoo that's part of OSU and the university's extension campuses, said current and former students, friends and city officials have stepped in to help her and her husband. 'I've been more overwhelmed by how fantastic Oklahomans are when they're friends with you, or neighbors with you, because we've had so many people reach out,' Shufran said. Stillwater Mayor Will Joyce warned on Facebook on Monday afternoon of worsening fire conditions in the area. 'Be prepared to take action quickly, if necessary,' he wrote. Southwest of Stillwater, residents in two parts of rural Logan County were urged to evacuate their homes Monday afternoon after wildfires that already burned more than 47 square miles (120 square kilometers) in the county since Friday picked back up amid high winds and dry conditions. An evacuation shelter had been set up at the county fairgrounds in Guthrie, said Logan County Deputy Emergency Management Director Shawn Pierce. Pierce said an estimated 54 homes were destroyed in last week's fire in the county, which is about 40 miles (64 kilometers) north of Oklahoma City. About 10 fires continued to burn in Texas on Monday as officials geared up for more high winds Tuesday, said Texas A&M Forest Service spokesperson Erin O'Connor. Although most of the fires have been contained due to slower winds Sunday, Texas officials were expecting wildfire danger to ramp up further into the week, O'Connor said. ___ ___
Yahoo
17-03-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Oklahomans survey devastation caused by wildfires
DALLAS — As Oklahomans assessed the devastation from wildfires that whipped across the state, damaging or destroying hundreds of homes, officials in both Oklahoma and Texas warned Sunday of an increased risk of fire danger in the coming week. 'We're going to be back into a critical area,' Oklahoma Forestry Services spokesperson Keith Merckx said Sunday. Nearly 300 homes and structures were damaged or destroyed as more than 130 wildfires were reported across the state on Friday, Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said at a Saturday news conference. Officials said Sunday that at least two people had died because of the severe weather in Oklahoma. Jeremy Cook was among the residents in Stillwater, a city of about 50,000 located about 65 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, who returned home Saturday morning to find that his house was gone. Cook told The Oklahoman that when his family fled Friday, they loaded up three cars with photographs, pets, books and paintings. After returning to find his home burned to the foundation, he said he was going back and forth 'between laughing and crying.' A preliminary count found that least 50 homes and structures were destroyed or damaged in Stillwater as multiple fires broke out, fire Chief Terry Essary said at a news conference Saturday. The fires spread rapidly and crews had difficulty containing each one because of the high winds and low humidity. He said they quickly became overwhelmed. 'Nobody has enough resources to fight fires when the wind is blowing 70 mph,' Essary said. 'It's an insurmountable task.' Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management spokesperson Keli Cain said Sunday that two people have been killed as a result of the weather and wildfires. She said one person died in Garfield County in a vehicle accident due to poor visibility due to dust or smoke and that a man had also died in Lincoln County. Deborah Ferguson told News 9 that her husband, Allen Ferguson, was killed in Lincoln County. She said that her husband and her 15-year-old son had been fighting a wildfire in a pasture on Friday and as they fled on a four-wheeler, it crashed into a tree amid heavy smoke. She said her son was badly burned and is hospitalized. Erin O'Connor, a spokesperson with the Texas A&M Forest Service, said the region on Friday had the 'perfect recipe for wildfires' with high winds, dry conditions and above normal temperatures. She said that less wind on Sunday had helped crews get a handle on the fires but that more fire activity was expected this coming week. One of the largest fires in Texas currently had burned about 14 square miles (36 square kilometers) near Fredericksburg, west of Austin, but was 40% contained by Sunday, she said. The winds that swept across Texas and Oklahoma were so strong that they turned over several tractor-trailers. Authorities have said three people were killed in car crashes during a dust storm caused by high winds in the Texas Panhandle on Friday. After touring the damage in Stillwater and Mannford, a city of about 3,000 located about 20 miles west of Tulsa, on Saturday, Stitt went on to survey the damage at his ranch outside of Oklahoma City, where his home there had burned to the ground. 'We'll be rebuilding with the rest of Oklahoma,' Stitt said in a video posted on X. 'You never think it's going to happen to your place and these wildfires just come out of nowhere and can really take over.'
