Firefighters Urge Caution As Wildfire Danger Increases

The forecast for high winds and low humidity is putting firefighters on alert for more wildfires Friday.

The volunteer fire department in Kellyville is on standby because of the extreme drought conditions, and Kellyville's fire captain said everyone needs to be prepared for the next 24 hours as the fire danger increases.

Fire departments all across Oklahoma are already out fighting wildfires.

Kellyville's fire department in Creek County spent much of Thursday afternoon and evening battling grass fires. Firefighters said one was a burn pile that got out of control and started burning the hillside.

Before that call, Kellyville firefighters were out on a 40-acre fire.

That fire only burned up a pasture.

The volunteer firefighters know conditions are ripe for a wildfire outbreak.

"We hadn't had any moisture in a long long time...high fire danger tomorrow especially. We just need to advise everybody to be careful. Throwing out lit cigarettes, burning trash - don't do any of that stuff. It's terribly, terribly dry right now," said Kellyville Fire Dept. Capt Chad Enlow.

Enlow said his volunteer firefighters are staging at the station because of the high fire danger and he said people need to be on alert about fire risk.

"We need the help of everybody out there, not just us. We need their help watching what they're doing with their cigarettes and their burning and so forth," Enlow said. 

Firefighters cannot stress enough not to burn during these high drought-extreme fire conditions.