Departments Battle Wildfires Across Oklahoma

Dry and windy conditions led to wildfires across Oklahoma on Thursday. More than 20 popped up in several counties, including near the Oklahoma City metro.

The Oklahoma Forestry Service said its crews are actively suppressing fires in its eastern Oklahoma protection areas. They're also sending resources to the ongoing fire in the Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge area in Comanche County.

"We have been coordinating fire warnings with the NWS and will continue planning, coordination, and predictive services into the evening," a spokesperson for the agency said.

According to Lincoln County Emergency Management, forestry crews also arrived at the scene of an ongoing fire in the southwest part of the county around 10 p.m. Thursday. The county estimates the fire has burned more than 350 acres and is currently 40% contained. 18 agencies are working on the operation.

Another fire earlier in the day, near County Road 70 between 3420 and 3440, burned 160 acres and involved 12 departments before being put out. Emergency Management said it started as a controlled burn from a defiant landowner.

Nearby, Logan County worked a wildfire near MacArthur and Charter Oak and is still mapping the total number of acres.

Fires also burned in parts of Payne, Noble, and Oklahoma Counties. Another fire near Cogar in Caddo County burned for a few hours.

"We ask that citizens stay off the county roads," said Sheri Nickel, deputy director of the Oklahoma State Firefighters Association. "Don't go out and try to see the fire. You can't drive into smoke or dust out in the county and get hit by a fire truck and hinder the operations, so just stay at home, be aware."