Monday State EOC Report
POSTED: 12:18 pm CST January 3,
2006
WILDFIRES CONTINUE ACROSS STATEThe State Emergency Operations Center (EOC) remains activated to support local fire departments and other first responders who continue to battle wildfires across Oklahoma.On Friday, Oklahoma's Type II Incident Management Team established an Incident Command Post (ICP) in Shawnee. The ICP continues to serve as a centralized point for coordination of the firefighting resources. The following agencies, departments and organizations are represented at the ICP: the Forestry Division of the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management (OEM), Oklahoma Military Department (OMD), Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), National Weather Service (NWS), and the Pottawatomie County/Shawnee Emergency Management Department.
Fires have now been reported in Haskell, Kingfisher, Lincoln, Logan and Osage counties, bringing to 29 the number of Oklahoma counties experiencing wildfires since last Tuesday. The other counties are: Bryan, Canadian, Carter, Cherokee, Choctaw, Cotton, Garfield, Garvin, Grady, Hughes, Johnston, Love, McCurtain, McIntosh, Muskogee, Okfuskee, Oklahoma, Okmulgee, Payne, Pontotoc, Pushmataha, Rogers, Seminole and Tulsa.*FIRE SUPPRESSION ACTIVITIES
This morning a large fire continues to burn in an area extending from Prague to Paden to Depew. Additionally, fires are working near Cashion, Prue, Shamrock, Kellyville, Skiatook and Wainright. Forestry officials are completing aerial reconnaissance to identify locations of wildfires and hotspots throughout the state.On Sunday fires were reported in areas near Depew/Bristow, Wainwright, Prague, Guthrie, Cashion, Stigler, Skiatook, Prue, Kellyville, Slick and Mayesville. Aerial fire suppression was provided by a Blackhawk helicopter at the fire Depew/Bristow area and a Chinook helicopter at a fire near Wellston. Around 4 p.m. the helicopters were grounded due to high winds and dense smoke. Two heavy tankers and three single engine air tankers (SEATs) were sent to the fire near Depew and a nearby fire in Iron Post. One heavy tanker and two SEATs were sent to the fire in Wainright and one heavy tanker and two SEATs were sent to the fire in Shamrock.Chinook helicopters are equipped with 1,320 gallon buckets for water drops and are stationed out of the Army Aviation Facility in Lexington. Additionally, Blackhawk helicopters, equipped with 660 gallon buckets, are available and stationed out of the Army Aviation Facility in Tulsa. Air tankers can deliver up to 2,500 gallons of fire retardant.Oklahoma State Forestry Division officials also deployed specialized bulldozers and wild land fire engines, along with incident commanders, to the fires in Shamrock, Welty, Prue, Prague, Paden and Wainright.*SPECIALIZED FIREFIGHTING TEAMS ASSISTING
State forestry firefighters from Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina are working out of the ICP. Crews from Florida are due to arrive later today. These additional resources are part of Gov. Brad Henry's request to preposition firefighting equipment and personnel throughout the state to assist area fire departments with initial attack. Each unit of firefighters arrived with wildland firefighting engines and bulldozers.*FATALITIES AND INJURIES
Fatalities: The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office reports one fatality related to the wildfires since Tuesday. A 68-year-old Hughes County man died Wednesday of thermal burns and smoke inhalation. During last month's wildfires, a 68-year-old woman died in Wilson (Carter County) after using a garden hose to keep flames from her home.Injuries: On Sunday at the Cashion fire a firefighter was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Since November, numerous other minor injuries have been reported to firefighters and a small number of minor injuries have also been reported to residents responding to and evacuating from the fires.*WEATHER CONDITIONS
Critical fire weather conditions will again prevail across parts of Oklahoma today. While not as super critical as Sunday, strong northerly winds and continued dry ground will allow for rapid spread of wildfires. A Red Flag Warning is in effect through today. Tuesday is expected to be another critical fire weather day as a storm system moves north of Oklahoma. Winds will generally be southerly across Oklahoma with temperatures in the 70s. Relative humidities will be around 20 percent. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for much of the state on Tuesday and will probably be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning. Wednesday will see very high to extreme fire weather conditions similar to today. Fire weather conditions will relax on Thursday with a possible return by late next weekend.*FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Oklahoma continues to await word on its request to President George Bush for an Emergency Disaster Declaration. On Friday, the request was made to fund the prepositioning of firefighting resources, temporary housing for those whose homes were destroyed by fires and not covered by property insurance, and Small Business Administration loans for homeowners and businesses who have uninsured losses. The declaration request, which was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), cites the rash of wildfires Oklahoma has experienced for the last two months. Since Nov. 1, all total, more than 285,000 acres have burned and more than 200 homes and businesses have been destroyed due to the wildfires. The federal declaration was requested after a State of Emergency was declared for all 77 Oklahoma counties.On Sunday, FEMA approved the state's request for a fire management grant for the fire in the Depew area. Similar grants have already been approved for fires in Hughes and Seminole counties and the Achille area fire in Bryan County. Under the grants, funds are available to local governments and volunteer fire departments that responded to these blazes. OEM is awaiting word on eight additional fire management grant applications submitted Sunday on fires in Bethel Acres, Shamrock, Wainright, Oklahoma City, Cashion, Guthrie, Sapulpa and Prague. OEM continues to monitor the situation to determine if the state qualifies for further assistance.BURN BAN CONTINUES
The statewide Burn Ban issued by Gov. Henry on Nov. 15 remains in effect. Under the ban it is unlawful for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wild lands or marshes or to build a bonfire, or to burn trash or other material throughout the state. Only officially organized fireworks displays permitted by a municipality with jurisdictional authority or the State Fire Marshal's Office are excluded from this ban. Oklahomans are reminded that violations are misdemeanors punishable by as much as a $500 fine and one-year imprisonment.DAMAGE REPORTS
In addition to contacting their insurance agent, Oklahomans whose property was damaged by wildfires are urged to report the damage to their local emergency manager (county, city or town). Additionally, those with damage to farm or ranch equipment, structures or crops are urged to report the information to their county extension office.HAY DIRECTORY
The state agriculture department maintains a hay directory for producers wishing to either buy or sell hay. Hay sellers are listed by county and the type of hay they have to offer is included. The recent wildfires have created additional demand for hay and new sellers have added their names to the list recently. The hay directory is available online at www.oda.state.ok.us or by calling toll free at 1-800-580-6543.
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This morning a large fire continues to burn in an area extending from Prague to Paden to Depew. Additionally, fires are working near Cashion, Prue, Shamrock, Kellyville, Skiatook and Wainright. Forestry officials are completing aerial reconnaissance to identify locations of wildfires and hotspots throughout the state.On Sunday fires were reported in areas near Depew/Bristow, Wainwright, Prague, Guthrie, Cashion, Stigler, Skiatook, Prue, Kellyville, Slick and Mayesville. Aerial fire suppression was provided by a Blackhawk helicopter at the fire Depew/Bristow area and a Chinook helicopter at a fire near Wellston. Around 4 p.m. the helicopters were grounded due to high winds and dense smoke. Two heavy tankers and three single engine air tankers (SEATs) were sent to the fire near Depew and a nearby fire in Iron Post. One heavy tanker and two SEATs were sent to the fire in Wainright and one heavy tanker and two SEATs were sent to the fire in Shamrock.Chinook helicopters are equipped with 1,320 gallon buckets for water drops and are stationed out of the Army Aviation Facility in Lexington. Additionally, Blackhawk helicopters, equipped with 660 gallon buckets, are available and stationed out of the Army Aviation Facility in Tulsa. Air tankers can deliver up to 2,500 gallons of fire retardant.Oklahoma State Forestry Division officials also deployed specialized bulldozers and wild land fire engines, along with incident commanders, to the fires in Shamrock, Welty, Prue, Prague, Paden and Wainright.*SPECIALIZED FIREFIGHTING TEAMS ASSISTING
State forestry firefighters from Alabama, Tennessee and North Carolina are working out of the ICP. Crews from Florida are due to arrive later today. These additional resources are part of Gov. Brad Henry's request to preposition firefighting equipment and personnel throughout the state to assist area fire departments with initial attack. Each unit of firefighters arrived with wildland firefighting engines and bulldozers.*FATALITIES AND INJURIES
Fatalities: The Oklahoma State Medical Examiner's Office reports one fatality related to the wildfires since Tuesday. A 68-year-old Hughes County man died Wednesday of thermal burns and smoke inhalation. During last month's wildfires, a 68-year-old woman died in Wilson (Carter County) after using a garden hose to keep flames from her home.Injuries: On Sunday at the Cashion fire a firefighter was treated at the scene for smoke inhalation. Since November, numerous other minor injuries have been reported to firefighters and a small number of minor injuries have also been reported to residents responding to and evacuating from the fires.*WEATHER CONDITIONS
Critical fire weather conditions will again prevail across parts of Oklahoma today. While not as super critical as Sunday, strong northerly winds and continued dry ground will allow for rapid spread of wildfires. A Red Flag Warning is in effect through today. Tuesday is expected to be another critical fire weather day as a storm system moves north of Oklahoma. Winds will generally be southerly across Oklahoma with temperatures in the 70s. Relative humidities will be around 20 percent. A Fire Weather Watch is in effect for much of the state on Tuesday and will probably be upgraded to a Red Flag Warning. Wednesday will see very high to extreme fire weather conditions similar to today. Fire weather conditions will relax on Thursday with a possible return by late next weekend.*FEDERAL DISASTER ASSISTANCE
Oklahoma continues to await word on its request to President George Bush for an Emergency Disaster Declaration. On Friday, the request was made to fund the prepositioning of firefighting resources, temporary housing for those whose homes were destroyed by fires and not covered by property insurance, and Small Business Administration loans for homeowners and businesses who have uninsured losses. The declaration request, which was sent to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), cites the rash of wildfires Oklahoma has experienced for the last two months. Since Nov. 1, all total, more than 285,000 acres have burned and more than 200 homes and businesses have been destroyed due to the wildfires. The federal declaration was requested after a State of Emergency was declared for all 77 Oklahoma counties.On Sunday, FEMA approved the state's request for a fire management grant for the fire in the Depew area. Similar grants have already been approved for fires in Hughes and Seminole counties and the Achille area fire in Bryan County. Under the grants, funds are available to local governments and volunteer fire departments that responded to these blazes. OEM is awaiting word on eight additional fire management grant applications submitted Sunday on fires in Bethel Acres, Shamrock, Wainright, Oklahoma City, Cashion, Guthrie, Sapulpa and Prague. OEM continues to monitor the situation to determine if the state qualifies for further assistance.BURN BAN CONTINUES
The statewide Burn Ban issued by Gov. Henry on Nov. 15 remains in effect. Under the ban it is unlawful for any person to set fire to any forest, grass, woods, wild lands or marshes or to build a bonfire, or to burn trash or other material throughout the state. Only officially organized fireworks displays permitted by a municipality with jurisdictional authority or the State Fire Marshal's Office are excluded from this ban. Oklahomans are reminded that violations are misdemeanors punishable by as much as a $500 fine and one-year imprisonment.DAMAGE REPORTS
In addition to contacting their insurance agent, Oklahomans whose property was damaged by wildfires are urged to report the damage to their local emergency manager (county, city or town). Additionally, those with damage to farm or ranch equipment, structures or crops are urged to report the information to their county extension office.HAY DIRECTORY
The state agriculture department maintains a hay directory for producers wishing to either buy or sell hay. Hay sellers are listed by county and the type of hay they have to offer is included. The recent wildfires have created additional demand for hay and new sellers have added their names to the list recently. The hay directory is available online at www.oda.state.ok.us or by calling toll free at 1-800-580-6543.
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