Is the wildire season about here?

There are reports of a large wildfire out of control northwest of Guymon.

I stopped at Alsup's in Gruver while ago and someone who had just driven in from Guymon said it was spread out pretty good.

I wonder how fast it is traveling. If it is north of Goodwell and heading south, it could be in Oslo if they can't get it stopped.

Saw the wildfire warning on the local news. Hope the winds die down for all of the folks up there battling this thing.

I'm getting ready to drive up to the state line and see if I can see anything.

I couldn't see much last night from the state line. Just some blinking lights and smelled the smoke.

News reports indicate it spanned 6 miles. I don't know if that was six miles in distance or 6 square miles.

My oldest brother drove out and looked at where it was today. He said that the fire itself was 3 miles wide.

It covered an estimated 5500 acres according to http://newsok.com/drought-fueled-wildfire-burns-across-5500-acres-in-panhandle/article/3256825/?tm=1213330913.

Also from the story:

quote:

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Two officials interviewed Thursday compared the situation to the Dust Bowl of the 1930s.

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Peoples, 51, said it is drier and dustier now than any time he remembers.

"I would not be surprised if there will be some days in the future where we'll have to close the highway due to blowing dust,” he said.

Local ranchers are selling off cattle "by the herds,” and nonirrigated wheat isn't going to be harvested, he said.

Hal Clark, chairman of the conservation district in Cimarron County, said farmers are using tractors to cut grooves into the dry soil in hopes it won't blow away. The soil is more stable when it's cut into chunks, he said.

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To date, this is the driest year on record for the Panhandle, according to the Oklahoma Climatological Survey. The U.S. Drought monitor lists the drought as "extreme.”

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