Rainfall Douses State, Eases Fire Danger

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ State officials say they likely will recommend some Oklahoma counties be removed from a burn ban after rain showers doused the state late last week. <br/><br/>The heaviest rainfall

Sunday, April 30th 2006, 11:29 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ State officials say they likely will recommend some Oklahoma counties be removed from a burn ban after rain showers doused the state late last week.

The heaviest rainfall totals were in eastern and south-central Oklahoma, where some areas received between five and seven inches over a two-day period Friday and Saturday, said Kenneth James, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Norman.

The highest two-day rainfall total was in Marietta, which received 9.24 inches of rain Friday and Saturday.

``It looks like amounts in excess of two inches occurred primarily along and east of Interstate 35,'' James said. ``The rainfall came in a couple of different periods, during the day on Friday through Friday night, and then another round in eastern Oklahoma on Saturday.''

Some areas in north-central Oklahoma near Ponca City, Enid and Perry also received between three and five inches over the two days, James said.

Jack Carson, a spokesman for the Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry, said officials will analyze the data and likely will recommend to the governor that some eastern Oklahoma counties be removed from the ban on outdoor burning that currently covers 67 of the state's 77 counties.

``We are still in the process of talking to fire departments and county commissioners in various parts of the state to see what their feelings are,'' Carson said. ``But this is really great news for the firefighters and all the citizens in Oklahoma who have been in danger from fires.''

Paul Sund, a spokesman for Gov. Brad Henry, said the governor will review the department's recommendation early next week, but said Henry prefers to err on the side of caution.

``The rain is great news _ it helps everyone from farmers to firefighters, but we're still in the worst drought we've faced in state history,'' Sund said. ``And we need a pattern of consistent rainfall to get out of the woods in terms of fire danger.''

In western Oklahoma, where the worst drought conditions exist and the least amount of rain fell last week, fire officials say lifting the burn ban would be premature.

``I just don't see them doing it here,'' said Woodward firefighter Terry Warren. ``I hope they don't.

``As soon as the wind comes back and it warms up ... it's bad enough that it won't take much to put us right back where we were.''

The short-range forecast calls for scattered showers through the middle of next week, but the long-term outlook for the next 90 days is not so optimistic, James said.

``The long-range forecast is for a weather pattern that supports dryer conditions and above-average temperatures over the long haul,'' James said. ``But any of these storm systems that come through, if we get the right conditions to promote rainfall, we could still see some significant rain.

``But those individual events are very difficult to predict three months in advance.''