Most Oklahoma, Texas blazes contained; weary crews remain on alert

06:44 AM CST on Friday, January 6, 2006

From Staff and Wire Reports

Firefighters in Texas nearly contained the only major blaze in the state Wednesday and continued to monitor flare-ups statewide amid slightly lighter winds and lower temperatures.

In southern Oklahoma, crews aided by airplanes that dropped fire retardant contained a 7,000-acre grass fire in the Arbuckle Mountains and began battling another fire in the area. Elsewhere in Oklahoma, about a dozen grass fires flared in dry, sunny conditions, but firefighters quickly knocked down the flames, officials said. All fires in the state were contained by evening, they said.

AP

Drumright firefighter Joe Mattox helped put out a blaze at a house Wednesday in Oilton, Okla.

Firefighters in both states were weary from battling blazes over the past couple of weeks. Since December, grass fires in Texas have killed three people, burned more than 250,000 acres and destroyed at least 250 homes. In Oklahoma, fires since Nov. 1 have killed two people, burned across 353,000 acres and destroyed more than 220 homes and businesses.

Fire alerts remained in effect Wednesday in North Texas and Oklahoma. Officials said heat, low humidity and wind – up to 25 mph in North Texas – could allow wildfires to spread quickly. An overnight cold front and slightly slower wind speeds prompted the warning to be dropped in other areas of Texas.

Forecasters were predicting that Saturday could be a particularly dangerous day, with higher temperatures, low humidity and high winds expected.

"It's getting kind of ridiculous, actually," National Weather Service forecaster Bruce Thoren said. "It's one thing to be dry. It's another thing to be dry and have above-average temperatures like we've had the last two weeks."

The fire that scorched about 50,000 acres in Texas' Irion and Reagan counties was expected to be fully contained Wednesday evening, Texas Forest Service spokeswoman Ron Perry said. He said crews were finishing the last three miles of the perimeter and would then leave "the volunteer fire department out there to patrol it."

The Wise County Sheriff's Office said several fires in that county were possible arsons, and officials asked anybody seeing anything suspicious to call the sheriff's office at 940-627-5971 or 911.

Official said Wise County Crime Stoppers – 1-800-643-TIPS – will offer a reward for information leading to the arrest of anybody responsible for intentionally setting a fire.

In Anadarko in western Oklahoma, an 18-year-old man, Justin Wilkerson, was arrested Monday on arson charges in connection with three small grass fires and a house fire set on New Year's Day.