2024 Oklahoma wildfires

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2024 Oklahoma wildfires
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The 2024 Oklahoma wildfire season was a series of notable wildfires that burned throughout the U.S. state of Oklahoma during 2024.

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Background

"Fire season" in Oklahoma typically occurs in the early and late months of the year, such as November or March. Due to the grassy fuels in Oklahoma, one of the main factors that pushes fires is wind and dry fuels. [1] Peak fire season is usually in March, the windiest month on record for Oklahoma. [2]

Summary

By early August, Oklahoma experienced an above-average wildfire season across the Great Plains, with northwestern counties particularly affected. The Red Mesa Fire, which ignited on August 3 near Woodward County, ultimately burned 4,112 acres before being fully contained, prompting evacuations of several rural homesteads. [3] Earlier in the season, the Clear Creek Fire, sparked by lightning in mid-June near Alfalfa County, charred 2,890 acres—the first major wildfire of the year in the state—before containment efforts succeeded by early July. [4]

The late spring and summer period was marked by extreme dryness and high winds, contributing to rapid fire spread across grasslands and brush. The Cimarron Fire, which began near Enid in late July, consumed over 3,500 acres and damaged several outbuildings, prompting firefighters to employ controlled backburns to protect residential areas. [5] Another incident along the northwestern plains, the Blue River Fire, totaling roughly 1,200 acres, destroyed one structure and forced temporary road closures, highlighting the challenges of simultaneous wildfire management across the region. [6]

Oklahoma state wildfire suppression spending reached $12 million in 2024, driven largely by these larger incidents. [7] The Oklahoma Forestry Services also distributed $2 million in community mitigation grants, aiming to bolster preparedness in rural areas vulnerable to increasing fire risk due to sustained drought conditions. [8]

List of wildfires

The following is a list of fires that burned more than 1,000 acres (400 ha), or produced significant structural damage or casualties.

NameCountyAcresStart dateContainment date [a] NotesRef
Nature Cherokee 3,542February 252024 [10]
Sand Creek Harper 2,645February 262024Caused by human activity. [11]
Slapout Beaver 22,826February 272024 [12]
Catesby Ellis 77,626February 272024Caused by human activity. [13]
Flying G Tulsa 1,110March 17April 1 [14]
Blue Star McIntosh 1,318October 9October 12
Rush Comanche 12,488October 24November 8 [15]
Euchee Creek Payne 1,279October 29November 4 [16]
Cimarron Bend Logan 2,112October 29November 1 [17]
Unknown Lincoln 1,130October 29October 30 [18]
North Road Osage 3,584October 29November 5 [19]
Indian Creek Dewey 1,575October 29November 1 [20]
2024 Oklahoma wildfires
Perimeters of wildfires in Oklahoma during 2024 (Red: >1000 acres) (map data)

See also

Notes

  1. ↑ Containment means that fire crews have established and secured control lines around the fire's perimeter. These lines are artificial barriers, like trenches or cleared vegetation, designed to stop the fire's spread, or natural barriers like rivers. Containment reflects progress in managing the fire but does not necessarily mean the fire is starved of fuel, under control, or put out. [9]

References

  1. ↑ "Spring wildfire protection & prevention". Oklahoma State University. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  2. ↑ "Spring wildfire protection & prevention". Oklahoma State University. Retrieved March 16, 2025.
  3. ↑ "Red Mesa Fire prompts evacuations in northwest Oklahoma". August 10, 2024.
  4. ↑ "Lightning sparks Clear Creek Fire in Alfalfa County". June 20, 2024.
  5. ↑ "Cimarron Fire burns 3,500 acres near Enid". July 28, 2024.
  6. ↑ "Blue River Fire prompts closures in northwestern Oklahoma". August 5, 2024.
  7. ↑ "Oklahoma allocates $12 million for wildfire suppression in 2024". August 15, 2024.
  8. ↑ "State grants fund wildfire mitigation in rural Oklahoma". July 30, 2024.
  9. ↑ "What containment and other wildfire related terms mean". Los Angeles: KCAL-TV. September 12, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2025.
  10. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  11. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  12. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  13. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  14. ↑ "WFIGS 2024 Interagency Fire Perimeters to Date". National Interagency Fire Center. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  15. ↑ "Rush Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 26, 2024.
  16. ↑ "Euchee Creek Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  17. ↑ "Cimarron Bend Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
  18. ↑ "Vegetation Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  19. ↑ "North Road Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 30, 2024.
  20. ↑ "Indian Creek Fire". Watch Duty. Retrieved October 29, 2024.
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