Oklahoma Wildfire Videos Show Massive Flames Tearing Across State, Evacuations Ordered in Woodward

Wildfires in western Oklahoma have prompted evacuations and highway closures as strong winds and dry conditions fuel dangerous fire behaviour. Evacuation orders were issued for the south-western part of Woodward, near 13th Street and Oklahoma Avenue south and west, according to the Woodward County emergency manager.

Residents, businesses and nursing homes in the affected area were told to leave. Officials confirmed that some homes have burned, though it is not yet known whether anyone has been injured.

The evacuation zone later expanded further east after initial orders were put in place from 22nd Street and Oklahoma Avenue. Oklahoma Avenue is the city’s main street. Authorities said traffic congestion had developed as residents sought to leave the area.

As of about 16:55 local time, the Woodward County emergency manager said the fire was not yet under control. A meteorologist with local broadcaster KOCO 5 said the fire was moving north-east at between 3 and 5 miles per hour.

Further west, in Beaver County in the Oklahoma Panhandle, officials estimated a wildfire had grown to approximately 15,000 acres and had spread into neighbouring Kansas.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol said eastbound lanes of U.S. Highway 64 near the town of Forgan had been shut down after the fire crossed the road. Forgan is more than 220 miles (354km) north-west of Oklahoma City.

Officials with Oklahoma Forestry Services said aviation resources had been requested to tackle the blaze, but wind speeds and gusts exceeding 65 miles per hour were preventing aircraft from operating safely.

The National Weather Service in Amarillo, Texas, issued a fire warning for Beaver County, saying a wildfire near the town of Beaver was moving east-north-east. Areas east of Highways 270 and 23, and along Highway 64 between Forgan and Knowles up to the Kansas state line, were advised to prepare for possible evacuation.

In Texas County, emergency management officials told residents in the town of Tyrone to evacuate. Western Oklahoma remains under a red flag warning on Tuesday as warm, windy conditions create a high risk of rapidly spreading fires.

The highway patrol urged motorists to avoid driving into smoke. “Be careful out there,” it said in a social media post.