Bartlesville Radio: The area’s best source for news, weather and sports!

Much needed rain has hit our listening area, but it isn't enough to keep away serious fire dangers this weekend.

Washington County Emergency Management (WCEM) Director Kary Cox says the fire spread rates in the forecast for Sunday match what was seen the previous weekend. Cox says any fire that starts will spread rapidly. He says these are the types of conditions that lead to catastrophic wildfires.

WCEM urges you to be extremely cautious. Cox says we still have dormant grasses and vegetation. He says these dead/dormant fuels dry out in a matter of hours, especially with a little bit of sunlight and wind, putting us right back in active fire situations.

Rain and snowfall can lead us into a false sense of security. Cox says a little rain and snow does not make for good burning conditions the following day. He says the fires they have battled in recent weeks have fallen under these particular circumstances as people will go out to burn thinking the conditions are right only for the fire to spread rapidly out of control.

According to the National Weather Service (NWS) out of Tulsa, warm and windy conditions return by the latter part of the weekend ahead of the next storm system. Elevated fire spread potential is forecast across northeast Oklahoma. The NWS fire spread rate map (pictured) suggests there will be 242 feet per minute spread rate in the Bartlesville area on Sunday. Conditions worsen as you head further west into Osage County.

Dry conditions have been persistent. Cox says this will remain the same until we start to see a "green up" in grasses and vegetation in northeast Oklahoma and southeast Kansas. He says this is indicative with the changing of the season, which make the perfect combination for large and active wildfires.

Fire departments in Washington County and the surrounding area are always ready to go. Cox says they do an excellent job in training together so they can work well together in the field. He says they know how to coordinate when they are on a scene, which has – and always will – made a huge difference.

Cox says the best way to prevent wildfires is to pay attention to weather conditions. He says monitoring a daily forecast is a great way to determine whether you should burn or not. If it is going to be windy and it is already dry, it is probably best to not burn.

On days where there is low humidity, warm temperatures and wind, you are discouraged from doing any outdoor burning. Cox says these are the atmospheric conditions that we will see this weekend. He says there should be no outdoor burning at all because they are nearly impossible to control.

Related Stories:

Area Fire Departments Battle Outbreak of Wildfires – February 15

Agencies Respond to Fire at 1100 Road in Washington County – March 1

Fire Rages from 1100 Road to Copan Cutoff in Washington County – March 3

Crews Battle Fire West of Copan Lake, South of Highway 10 – March 13

Washington County Crews Provide Water During Sunday Wildfire – March 14