Fire scorches Oklahoma grasslands

Associated Press

OKLAHOMA CITY

Firefighters across several southern Plains states battled grass fires, with the largest blazes Friday consuming more than 80 square miles in Oklahoma and forcing some residents to evacuate their homes.

Wind gusts of more than 50 mph had died down by Friday, but the state’s low humidity and high temperatures still posed a significant fire threat. Officials implored residents to avoid burning outdoors, as new fires could strain emergency personnel who were already stretched thin from fighting fires overnight.

Smaller fires have cropped up in other states, including a northwest Missouri grass fire Thursday that damaged about 2 square miles of land and briefly spawned a “fire tornado.”

Firefighters in Texas were battling at least nine blazes Friday that consumed nearly 700 acres of grass lands.

Kansas also has had more fires than are typical in February, said Eric Ward, fire planning specialist with the Kansas Forest Service. Up to 2 square miles have burned in the past few days.