{"id":35051,"date":"2022-07-27T15:57:09","date_gmt":"2022-07-27T20:57:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/?p=35051"},"modified":"2022-07-27T16:39:06","modified_gmt":"2022-07-27T21:39:06","slug":"northwest-oklahoma-residents-to-evacuate-as-fire-burns-thousands-of-acres-relief-in-sight","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/oklahoma\/2022\/07\/27\/northwest-oklahoma-residents-to-evacuate-as-fire-burns-thousands-of-acres-relief-in-sight\/","title":{"rendered":"Northwest Oklahoma residents to evacuate as fire burns thousands of acres, relief in sight"},"content":{"rendered":"

As drought and extreme temperatures persist across the region, some residents in Northwestern Oklahoma are evacuating their homes<\/a> as a wildfire continues to scorch thousands of acres.<\/span><\/p>

The fire, located northeast of Mooreland \u2014 about 10 miles east of Woodward \u2014 began Monday afternoon and has since burned around 18,000 acres. Residents around these areas were issued an evacuation warning Wednesday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

According to the Enid\/Garfield County Emergency Management, the Governor\u2019s office <\/span>denied several requests<\/span><\/a> for helicopter support to put out the blaze, but eventually gave approval Tuesday, and helicopters arrived Wednesday. Officials say no homes have been damaged by the fire, but that the nature of the land \u2014 mainly canyons full of cedar trees \u2014 has made management efforts tough.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

The Mooreland fire is far from the only wildfire currently raging in the state. According to FEMA, <\/span>there are more than a dozen active fires<\/span><\/a> burning now in Oklahoma, and <\/span>over half of the state<\/span><\/a> is under a burn ban. Earlier this month, the Blaine County fire burned around 10,000 acres and required about 120 fire crews from across the region to contain it. Cooler temperatures and rain are predicted for the end of the week.<\/span><\/p>