Drought, Weather Fuel Record Oklahoma Wildfires

[Grizzled Ol Granddad]

Source: Climate Central News

Published: March 24th, 2017
By Andrea Thompson

Wildfires fueled by gusting winds, hot, dry weather, and desiccated plant life have burned nearly 900,000 acres of Oklahoma so far this year, a record, as well as parts of Kansas and Texas. The blazes have destroyed dozens of buildings and killed seven people as well as hundreds of cattle.



Late winter and early spring are typically the peak wildfire season for the region, as dry, windy weather arrives before the spring green-up of crops and other plants. But this season has been particularly active because of drought conditions that have creeped up during the winter, driven by record warm temperatures and a lack of precipitation.

Climate change is expected to impact many of the factors, such as precipitation, that can contribute to wildfires. But exactly how it might affect future wildfire risks in the central and southern Plains is an open question, and one that has seen relatively little attention to date.

While this time of year is typically the main wildfire season for Oklahoma and surrounding areas, this season has seen a record-breaking amount of land scorched by 133 large wildfires ignited in the Panhandle and eastern Oklahoma, with conditions exacerbated by a perfect storm of ideal fire weather and a deepening drought. (Large wildfires are those covering 100 acres or more.)

Read more: http://www.climatecentral.org/news/drought-weather-record-oklahoma-wildfires-21276

---

Dang, those people had better pray to Gawd extra hard this year!

[ananda]

1. I hope the *45 voters don't expect help from the government.

nt

[NickB79]

2. There's another dust bowl in the works

And the people in charge who's job it is to prevent such a thing are instead working to speed it up.

[jiminvegas]

3. To get federal disaster funds,

you should have to admit the disaster is caused by man made global warming.

[Greensix1]

4. All lies. There are no fires

There Can't be any fires in Oklahoma, Texas, or Kansas. Those reports are just lies, trying to make people Think there is a drought in those states. The Smartest Man in the World says Global Warming is a Chinese Hoax, and he should know, because he's the Smartest Man in the World. Just ask him and he'll tell you. Mr. Trump, who is the Smartest Man in the World? "I am," says he. "Everybody knows that." Therefore, no fires in Oklahoma. Simple Republican logic. What's so hard to understand?

[jpak]

5. A hoax made in Jina

yup

[Bengus81]

6. Same thing happened in Kansas a couple of weeks ago....

the wind has been blowing even stronger and more days in a row than it normally does in March. Zero mositure back then,we got some rain yesterday and a load of wild fires.

[dalton99a]

7. Record-breaking year after record-breaking year will make it the new normal

"See, it's just another bad year!"