Evacuations Ordered As Wildfires Flare Up In Oklahoma, Kansas

About 100 people were evacuated Friday in Pueblo County, Oklahoma, as wind-driven wildfires flare up in the Plains.

Wildfires burned thousands of acres Thursday in Kansas and authorities are warned that "extreme, catastrophic" fire conditions could prove disastrous for the region on Friday.

Strong winds and dry conditions fueled dozens of fires Thursday that scorched an estimated 13,000 acres in the Sunflower State, the Wichita Eagle reports.

A fire destroyed two buildings in Kiowa County, state officials said, but no injuries have been reported. It was one of 45 wildfires reported.

According to the Kansas Adjunct General's Office, four fires were still burning out of control by the end of the day Thursday and another 12 were active but under control.

The National Weather Service issued a Red Flag warning Friday for 36 counties primarily in southwestern portions of the state and asked the public to refrain from burning. It also issued red flag warnings for most of Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle, northeastern New Mexico, southeastern Colorado and southeastern Missouri.

Extreme to exceptional drought is in place over the Plains of southwest Kansas, western Oklahoma, the Texas Panhandle and northern New Mexico, said weather.com senior meteorologist Jon Erdman.

"Some of these areas haven't seen a good soaking in over five months," said Erdman. "Strong winds blowing over dried-out grasses and brush is a dangerous scenario for any small fire to be whipped into a fast-moving inferno within minutes."

The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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