A stretch of dangerous fire weather across southern Oklahoma turned into a busy and challenging two days for area firefi ghters, as multiple blazes broke out east and south of Sulphur on March 18 and 19.
The region, like much of the state, has been under periodic elevated to critical fire weather alerts in recent weeks, with persistent high winds, dry vegetation and unseasonably warm temperatures creating prime conditions for fast-moving fires.
The first call came in at approx-imately 2:21 p.m. Wednesday, March 18, at 2833 Koller Road. Initially reported as a grass fire, responding units from the Sulphur Fire Department arrived to find a more serious situation — a shop building and a covered outdoor area, along with hay bales, fully involved in flames.
Firefighters worked quickly to contain the blaze, receiving support from tanker trucks from the Joy, Davis, Oak Grove and Rock Prairie Fire Departments. The cause of that fire remains under investigation.
Later, a second fire was reported at 896 Buckhorn Road, where a controlled burn reignited and got out of hand amid the volatile conditions.
That fire would prove even more challenging.
On Thursday, March 19, the Buckhorn Road fire reignited and spread rapidly, involving two separate burn areas to the east and west. In total, approximately 280 acres were scorched between the two fronts.
Fires
The difficult terrain and heavy vegetation complicated firefighting efforts, prompting additional resources to be called in. Bulldozers from the Oklahoma Forestry Department in Atoka were deployed to cut fire lines, while three aerial units out of Bartlesville made multiple drops of flame retardant.
Sulphur firefighter Bradley Vandagriff said the decision to utilize aircraft came after assistance was offered due to the nature of the terrain.
The area was heavily wooded with cedar trees and difficult to access, Vandagriff said, which made it hard for crews to get in and contain it from the ground.
An estimated 35 to 40 firefighters battled the blaze at its peak, with assistance from Dougherty, Rock Prairie, Davis and Oak Grove departments.
Sulphur Fire Chief Tracy Laxton said crews remained on scene until dark Thursday working to contain the fire and prevent further spread. He returned to the area Friday to assess damage and check for lingering hot spots.
Laxton noted that these were not isolated incidents, as local departments responded to several smaller fires throughout the county during the same week.
With dry conditions expected to persist, officials are urging residents to use extreme caution with any outdoor burning and to remain aware of weather conditions that can quickly turn routine burns into dangerous situations.
“These conditions can change fast,” Laxton said. “It doesn’t take much for a small fire to get out of control.”
