Wildfires threaten Oklahoma towns, evacuation orders issued

Strong winds of up to 75 mph are driving wildfires across Oklahoma, leading to urgent evacuation orders for several towns. On Wednesday morning, officials reported that firefighters are battling blazes in Logan, Pawnee, Beckham, and Roger Mills counties. One fire is spreading just seven miles northwest of Sweetwater, close to the Texas border. Residents of Meridian were first told to evacuate as flames approached within two miles. After several hours, this order was lifted as a cold front increased humidity in the area. Meanwhile, in Roger Mills County, towns like Durham and Dead Warrior Lake received evacuation orders around 4 a.m. as a nearby fire grew rapidly. The wildfires follow a large blaze in Logan County, which burned over 30,000 acres and destroyed more than 100 homes just days earlier. As of Tuesday, that fire was only 25% contained. Officials believe embers from this fire may have ignited the new one near Meridian. There have been no reports of injuries or significant damage from the latest fires, but the situation remains dire. Oklahoma has experienced extreme fire danger, with the National Weather Service warning of potential extreme fire behavior fueled by the high winds. The fires come amid severe weather across the South and Midwest, which has led to multiple fatalities from tornadoes. Dangerous fire conditions are affecting areas from Texas to Illinois, with high wind alerts in 20 states and blizzard warnings from Colorado to Minnesota. Overall, the severe weather pattern continues to pose risks, and authorities are closely monitoring the situation in Oklahoma and surrounding states.