Red flag warnings in Chicago and Oklahoma, as fire crews get upper hand on Colorado blaze
Amid an autumnal heat spell sweeping large parts of the nation, rare red-flag warnings have been issued for Chicago and western Oklahoma while firefighters reported gaining the upper hand on a wildland blaze threatening homes in Colorado.
It may be late October, but the U.S. wildfire season has reignited across the country as at least 11 active wildfires were burning from California to New Jersey, officials said.
A red-flag warning was issued by the National Weather Service for western, northwestern and northern Oklahoma, where firefighters are battling several wildfires near the towns of Cushing, Chickasha, Cimmaron City, Wellston and Seiling. The fires prompted the evacuations of some homes and, according to Logan County Emergency Management, destroyed "a few" residences in Logan County.
The largest active Oklahoma fire is the Rush Fire which has burned more than 12,000 acres in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The Rush Fire, which started on Thursday, was 48% contained Tuesday evening, officials said.
The NWS also issued a red-flag warning for the Chicago area on Tuesday, saying in an advisory, "Critical fire weather conditions are either occurring now or will shortly." The temperature soared to 82 degrees in Chicago on Tuesday, tying a daily heat record.
Gusty winds and bone-dry conditions helped spread a grassfire that broke out south of Chicago on Tuesday, shutting down part of Interstate 74 due to smoky conditions, officials said.
On Wednesday, the highest fire danger is forecast for the southern Plains, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas.
Dangerous fire conditions are also being seen in parts of New Mexico, where officials issued a "Ready Status" advisory for residents of Bonito Lake in Lincoln County to be prepared to evacuate if the Blue Front Fire, which started Monday and had burned 270 acres by Tuesday, worsens.
According to Colorado fire officials, the Highland Lake Fire, which started around 4 p.m. on Monday and burned 166 acres near the town of Divide, was 80% contained on Wednesday afternoon. All evacuation orders have been lifted, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a news conference Wednesday.
"The reason this has been so successful and the reason we're here 72 hours later and not seven days later is because of all the work that went on that first day, that first night," Mikesell said.
The sheriff said investigators looking into the cause of the fire have been focused on a structure that was destroyed by flames. He said investigators suspect the fire was "human-caused," but it remains unclear if the cause was accidental or criminal.
Mikesel said firefighters on the front lines were being confronted Tuesday by winds of more than 50 mph and gusts of more than 60 mph, but were able to make significant progress in containing the fire.
Mikesel said about 150 firefighters were battling the blaze Wednesday.
A local disaster emergency was declared by the Teller County Board of Commissioners.
No injuries have been reported.
The sheriff's office requested and received aid from multiple agencies in the region in battling the fire, Mikesell said.
The NWS has issued red-flag warnings of dangerous fire conditions in the Divide area.
Elsewhere a red-flag warning was issued in Massachusetts this week, where firefighters continue to battle a 400-acre brush fire near Salem. Fire crews are also battling another brush fire that started Sunday and consumed at least 250 acres near Middleton, Massachusetts.
According to the National Interagency Fire Center, at least 11 large active fires across the United States have burned more than 1 million acres. At least 4,000 wildland firefighters were battling the blazes, according to the center.
Wildfires were also burning in Michigan, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon and New Jersey.
The elevated wildfire danger comes amid record-high temperatures across the country. High temperature records were either tied or broken in dozens of cities on Monday, including Oklahoma City; Kansas City, Missouri; Wichita, Kansas, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Witchita Falls, Texas; and Austin, Texas.
Temperatures climbed Monday to near 80 degrees in Minneapolis.
The NWS this week also issued a rare red flag warning for New York City, which hasn't had any measurable rain in about a month.
In New Jersey, Gov. Phil Murphy issued a Draught Watch, advising businesses and residents to conserve water.
A wildfire that erupted last week in the drought-ravaged area near Rockaway Township in Morris County, New Jersey, burned nearly 80 acres, officials said.
On Monday, the NWS in Philadelphia and New York City issued a special weather statement warning of elevated risk for the spread of wildfires.
According to the statement, "Vegetation remains very dry and could potentially become fuel for fires. These conditions will support the spread of any fires that ignite, which could quickly become difficult to control."
