Fires 74 percent contained

The Northwest Oklahoma Complex wildfires, composed of four fire areas in Beaver, Harper and Woodward counties, is now considered to be 74 percent contained, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Service. The fires began on Monday, March 6.

The Selman Fire (Harper and Woodward Counties) is the area closest to Freedom. It is about ten miles from Woodward. That fire area covered 47,289 acres.

The Starbuck Fire (Beaver and Harper Counties) is the largest fire area in northwest Oklahoma including 662,687 acres total with 464,308 acres in Kansas and 198,379 in Oklahoma. It is near the communities of Buffalo, Knowles, Gate, Rosston and Laverne.

The 283 Fire in Harper County is located near Rosston, Laverne and May. That area covers 69,395 acres.

The smallest of the four in area is the Beaver Fire located between Beaver and Elmwood along Highway 273. It burned 2,962 acres.

Numerous Oklahoma Forestry Service overhead, heavy equipment, Type 6 Engines and aircraft are assigned to the complex to assist local fire departments with the control efforts. Other state forestry resources from Arkansas, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana and Tennessee have arrived and are committed to the firefighting effort. An Incident Command Post is established at the Woodward County Fairgrounds to facilitate briefings, resource assignments and ordering.

The fire area may experience “Elevated” or “Near Critical” fire danger levels today, Friday and perhaps into next week as higher temperatures, drier air and strong winds return. Resources will continue working existing control lines and mopping-up hot spots to strengthen the fires’ perimeter. Utility companies have started to replace power poles and lines damaged by the fire. There were no changes in fire perimeters during the previous burning period.