Fire Weather Discussion

[venture]

This article will be used to discuss Fire Weather conditions and outlooks. Will fine tune this article over time.

NWS Norman Wildfire Outlook	NWS Fire Weather Headlines

Burning Index	Current Conditions - Rel Humidity	Burn Bans

Current Wind Speed and Gusts	Current Soil Moisture - 4 in.	Consecutive Days with less than 0.25" of moisture

Updated: 1/11/2014

[venture]

Going to get this thread going since it seems fire weather conditions will be increasing pretty rapidly through the week. Sunday could be the first day of the year where we fall into the critical/extreme fire danger category.

[ou48A]

We need a much better cedar eradication program.
Fewer cedars means less dangerous fire conditions in our area and sometimes by huge amounts.

It also means more surface and ground water, better pastures and lower levels of allergies that are a serious health issue for large numbers of people.
Cedar removal by controlled burns would also resort the prairie to a more natural state.

[venture]

Fire Weather Watch for SW OK tomorrow.

URGENT - FIRE WEATHER MESSAGE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE NORMAN OK
222 PM CST SAT JAN 11 2014


...CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER CONDITIONS LIKELY ACROSS PARTS OF
WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA SUNDAY AFTERNOON...


OKZ037-038-044-TXZ085>089-121200-
/O.NEW.KOUN.FW.A.0001.140112T1800Z-140113T0000Z/
TILLMAN-COMANCHE-COTTON-WILBARGER-WICHITA-KNOX-BAYLOR-ARCHER-
222 PM CST SAT JAN 11 2014


...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR STRONG
WINDS AND LOW HUMIDITY FOR MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH TEXAS AND
PARTS OF SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA...


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT SUNDAY AFTERNOON FOR MUCH OF WESTERN
NORTH TEXAS AND PARTS OF SOUTHWESTERN OKLAHOMA.


* WIND...SOUTH TO SOUTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH WITH GUSTS TO 40 MPH.


* HUMIDITY...12 TO 20 PERCENT.


* TEMPERATURE...70 TO 80 DEGREES.


* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

[Plutonic Panda]

Perhaps a 2014 Tropical Thread is needed as well as it seems a Cyclone has spun off of India.

[venture]

Fire Weather Watch tomorrow has been expand for roughly all areas South of I-40 and west of I-35.

Another very critical fire day could be here on Tuesday as well.

[venture]

Extreme fire danger today. Winds gusting over 40 mph in some parts of the Metro area right now. NWS Norman reporting indications of fires east of Stillwater and north of Chandler.

[MustangGT]

If you live in the country please contact the local FD in your area and have them do a fire survey of your house. They will show you what needs to be cut back/trimmed and how much of a clear area you need. Many smaller aka volunteer departments are starting to NOT save homes and buildings that the owners have not taken even a minor effort to reduce the burnability. I agree with them. Why should they risk their lives to save a home the homeowner is too lazy to take even basic fire safety measures.

[venture]

Looks like at least five fire signatures on radar right now...

[ou48A]

If you live in the country please contact the local FD in your area and have them do a fire survey of your house. They will show you what needs to be cut back/trimmed and how much of a clear area you need. Many smaller aka volunteer departments are starting to NOT save homes and buildings that the owners have not taken even a minor effort to reduce the burnability. I agree with them. Why should they risk their lives to save a home the homeowner is too lazy to take even basic fire safety measures.

This is a really great idea.
Good fire safety needs to practiced everywhere.
There is a lot that can be done to mitigate risk.




1. NWS Norman ‏@NWSNorman 1h
Wildfire potential, based on weather, will peak around 3 p.m. Already many fires out there! #okwx #txwx

[venture]

Updated radar image with on going fires...

[venture]

From KWTV...

Lincoln County
According to Joey Wakefield with Lincoln County Emergency Management, as of 1 p.m., crews are battling four grass fires in Lincoln County.
State Highway 102 at County Road 1020 is shut down due to a fire crossing the highway.


Canadian County
At about 1 p.m., El Reno firefighters confirmed that they are helping fight a grass fire at Jones and Maberry near Calumet.
Crews are also battling a grass fire at 4809 Smoking Oaks Dr. in Yukon.


Oklahoma County
Oklahoma City firefighters have put out a grass fire at 9228 Snowberry Dr. in Oklahoma City Sunday afternoon. Just before 2 p.m., firefighters are responding to another grass fire at 4904 S.W. 126th Terrace.
At about 2:15 p.m. authorities confirmed that fire crews are fighting a grass fire at S. Hiwassee and S.E. 149th in Oklahoma City.
At about 2:30 p.m. firefighters are responding to another grass fire at 9500 N.W. 4TH Street.


Grady County
Chickasha firefighters are fighting a large grass fire just north of Rush Springs along Highway 81.
Emergency crews are also responding to a large grass fire in Rush Springs.

Payne County
Firefighters also battled a large grass fire in Payne County. State Highway 51 between Council Valley and Battle Ridge Road was closed for about 40 minutes due to the grass fire crossing the highway.

[venture]

New fire showing up at Hiwassee and E Coffee Creek Rd north of Arcadia.

Also the Red Flag Warning was expanded for the entire state except the panhandle and McCurtain county in SE OK until this evening. 'tis the season.

[venture]

Fires appear to be under control based on radar imagery and the reduction in the smoke plumes out there. The two Canadian county fires noted earlier are barely visible anymore. The only one remaining in Logan County is the big one NE of Guthrie to the NW of Langston.

[Tydude]

i am surprise that none of the new station is covering it

[rezman]

News reports are stating that the fire out by Piedmont was started by someone burning trash. ... On a day with 40 mile an hour winds.... How stupid can you be!

[RadicalModerate]

News reports are stating that the fire out by Piedmont was started by someone burning trash. ... On a day with 40 mile an hour winds.... How stupid can you be!

I saw the brief interview with the "person of interest" . . . He said it might have been a stray cigarette (but did admit it might have been a rogue ember--he may have said "ash"--from the trash burning). I like the way you ended your statement with an exclamation point rather than a question mark.

[rezman]

I like the way you ended your statement with an exclamation point rather than a question mark.

I know. And the two characters are on opposite ends of the keyboard too . ... Good eye!

[venture]

Fire Weather Watch for the entire Norman forecast area for tomorrow afternoon.

...FIRE WEATHER WATCH IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR DRY AND
WINDY CONDITIONS FOR CENTRAL...SOUTHEAST...AND WESTERN
OKLAHOMA...AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...


THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN NORMAN HAS ISSUED A FIRE WEATHER
WATCH...WHICH IS IN EFFECT TUESDAY AFTERNOON.


* WIND...NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH...WITH GUSTS AROUND 40 MPH.


* HUMIDITY...15 TO 30 PERCENT.


* TEMPERATURE...45 TO 60 DEGREES.


ALTHOUGH WEATHER CONDITIONS WILL BE MOST FAVORABLE FOR WILDFIRES
IN WESTERN OKLAHOMA AND WESTERN NORTH TEXAS...THE GREATER AMOUNT
OF DRY VEGETATION FARTHER EAST WILL RESULT IN A SIMILAR RISK OF
WILDFIRES.


* IMPACTS...ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY.
OUTDOOR BURNING IS NOT RECOMMENDED.

[venture]

Grass fire in E Norman at 48th and Alameda. At lease the wind isn't a major problem today.

[PennyQuilts]

They had a fire just west of Council on SW 74th street. It was right on the edge of a large mobile home park near us. Burned a couple of mobile homes, I understand. Odd thing is that at our house, we didn't see or smell any smoke and didn't hear any sirens. I could smell the smoke when I drove by it and saw it burning but if I hadn't been looking for it or seen the police cars with their lights on, I'd have missed it.

[venture]

Red Flag Warning until 6PM for all of Western Oklahoma...roughly west of the I-35 counties.

[Uncle Slayton]

I'm working on a new climate theory that giving Wx its own category dry slotted the entire rest of winter for central OK, thus depriving me of much snow and cold previously forecast.

C'mon, Venture, Anon...throw me a bone here.

[venture]

I'm working on a new climate theory that giving Wx its own category dry slotted the entire rest of winter for central OK, thus depriving me of much snow and cold previously forecast.

C'mon, Venture, Anon...throw me a bone here.

Maybe something 10 days out. I'll post more in the general wx thread later this morning.

Fire Weather Watch up for tomorrow for nearly all of Central and Western OK again.

[GoOKC1991]

Fires at NW 164th & Rockwell and I-35 & SE 89th but contained quickly by OKC FD.