Wildfires Burn Hundreds Of Acres Across Central Oklahoma

Fire crews in Logan County have their hands full battling multiple wildfires that have already scorched hundreds of acres of land and destroyed several structures in the area, Sunday afternoon.

A voluntary evacuation order was issued for residents living east of Choctaw Rd., north of Prairie Grove Rd. all the way to highway 105 and on the north, as well as at Triple X Rd. on the east; a total of approximately four square miles, including the town of Meridian, Okla. The evacuation order was lifted just after 5:30 p.m.

The Oklahoma Red Cross opened a wildfire evacuation center at the First Christian Church, located at 402 E. Noble, in Guthrie.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol (OHP) had to shut down Interstate 35 in both directions, at mile marker 163, due to multiple car crashes in the area caused by the wild fire crossing the highway. Troopers reopened I-35 in both directions around 4:30 p.m. The highway was closed for approximately one hour and fourteen minutes.

The first fire started in the area of Hiwassee in Guthrie and stretched to Henney Rd. in Coyle. Firefighters contained the fire shortly after it began. Then a second fire sparked in the area of Redland Rd. and County Road 0730. A third fire flared up just south of Seward Rd., about two miles west of I-35.

Farmers in the area are trying to bring in their animals. News 9 is told the Lazy E Ranch has opened 580 stalls for any farmer to bring their livestock with their own hay and water buckets.

In all, about 1,300 acres burned. One home was lost and an undetermined amount of barns and outbuildings were also destroyed.

High winds made it challenging to battle the fires. Black Hawk helicopters are also being used to drop water on some of the fires. 

To the southwest of where all the action was taking place in Logan County, another fire burned in the Chickasha area in Grady County. Ten different fire crews were called out to battle the blaze, which started near mile marker 90 on I-44 and split off to form two separate fires.

The Grady County fire sparked up around 3:15 p.m. and was under control by 5 p.m. About 300 acres in all burned. No structures or livestock were harmed.

Crews from Tuttle, Blanchard, Amber, Naples and Chickasha were called out.