Last night and this morning the fire area received between 0.2″ to 0.6″ of rainfall. All resources have been released from the fire. Transfer of command back to the local Fire Department has occurred.

–Mark Goeller, Forestry Services

41,500 acres
60% Containment

Tuesday’s gusty winds created some flare ups on the Chester Fire. A strip of cedars near Phroso Road flared around 3:00 p.m. yesterday.

“The fire got into the crowns and made a decent run,” said Andy James, Oklahoma Forestry Services operations section chief, “We probably had 40-50 foot flame lengths at one point and the fire burned an additional 30-40 acres.”

After securing that flare-up as well as another, crews established control lines and conducted burn out operations to further secure the perimeter of the fire.

ODAFF Forestry Services still has five firefighting units assigned to the fire today. These crews will continue work on the south perimeter of the fire establishing control lines, burning out and mopping up any remaining interior heat.

NOTE: Fire terminology definitions:
ODAFF-Forestry Services Firefighting units-consists of two firefighters with one dozer and one Type 6 Engine with water.

Control lines-utilizing heavy equipment or hand-tools, firefighting personnel create a barrier to fire spread by removing all flammable fuel (trees, grass, shrubs) down to mineral soil.

Natural barriers (roads, streams and other rocky areas) are also used for control lines.

Burn out operation-using their knowledge of fire behavior and fire weather, fire personnel will burn the fuel adjacent control lines so that the main fire will have no fuel to burn.

41,457 acres
50% contained

Oklahoma Forestry crews continue to work the Chester Fire in Major County. Fire update as of 1:00 p.m. is:

High temperatures, winds gusting to 25 mph and very low relative humidity will provide a good test of the lines established over the past few days.

Some interior hot spots are being spotted from the air by Andy James, OFS Operations Section Chief, who is then able to direct crews to work those locations.

Currently there is no active fire threating the lines. 36 personnel are still assigned to the fire.This number includes ODAFF Forestry Services and area fire departments. An Oklahoma Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk is also assigned to the fire.

“Today will be a good test of suppression efforts to date,” said Mark Goeller, assistant director Oklahoma Forestry Services.

Note: The next Chester Fire update will be tomorrow, July 15 at 11 am, unless significant fire events warrant a PM update this afternoon,

Our crews and other fire fighters in the area are working to contain the blaze in Major County. Information is difficult to come by since everyone is so busy working to protect structures and contain the blaze.

Here are the updates we can provide:

ODAFF-Forestry Services has sent 10 firefighting units to assist with the Chester Fire in Major County. Below is a quick update of the fire activity at this time:

· A total of ten units from eastern ODAFF Forestry Services have arrived at the Chester Fire

· 8 units are engaged working the NE and SE flanks of the fire

· The additional 2 units are being briefed preparing to engage

· Fire activity today is moderate

· Currently the fire is estimated at 41,457 acres (acreage reduction from previous reports due to aerial mapping of the fire) with 30% containment

· A fire weather watch is predicted for tomorrow with wind gusts up to 25+mph and RH in the mid-teens to low 20s

· OFS units are working today establishing anchor points, flanking the fire and point protection

· Numerous fire departments are involved in the effort

· There are scattered farmsteads threatened in the blaze.

The wildfire that began Friday just north of Chester, OK continues to burn and we have been requested to assist. Mark Goeller has been monitoring this fire since it started. Currently the fire is being blamed on an electrical short.

This morning ten of our units from eastern Oklahoma departed for the Chester Fire in Major County. In addition, two Overhead personnel have been assigned: The breakdown of resources is as follows:

NE Area – Six (6) personnel staffing four (3) John Deere 450J Bulldozers and four (3) Type 6 Engines

EC Area – Six (6) personnel staffing four (3) John Deere 450J Bulldozers and four (3) Type 6 Engines

SE Area – Eight (8) personnel staffing two (2) John Deere 650J Bulldozers, two (2) John Deere 450J Bulldozers and four (4) Type 6 Engines

Also, one employee is responding as Type III Incident Commander and another will serve as an airborne Operations Section Chief.

The airborn Operations Section Chief left yesterday afternoon and spent the night in Enid. This morning he is gathering maps of the area and is awaiting an OHP aircraft to get him in the air to begin a size-up of the incident. As of 0815 this morning, some of the resources were already west of Enid…..

An Oklahoma Army National Guard UH-60 Blackhawk is assigned to the fire.

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry Forestry Services
PROTECTION AREA STATISTICS* for Time Period 0800 thru 0800, 05/04/09 thru 05/05/09

NE Area – 0 fires
EC Area – 0 fires
SE Area – 0 fires

PROTECTION AREA YEAR TO DATE STATISTICS – JANUARY 1ST THRU APRIL 30TH

NE Area – 678 fires burned 24,562 acres
EC Area – 301 fires burned 15,981 acres
SE Area – 445 fires burned 40,342 acres

TOTAL PROTECTION AREA – 1,424 fires burned 80,885 acres Year to date, ODAFF-Forestry Services Firefighters have assisted fire departments outside of the Protection Area on 53 fires that burned 205,631 acres.

* Protection Area Statistics do not reflect local fire department’s fire run information. Statistics are for the ODAFF-Forestry Services’ eighteen county Fire Protection Area in eastern Oklahoma unless otherwise noted in the Discussion section of this report.

Discussion: There will be no wildfire danger concerns today.

There are no counties under a County Commissioner’s Burn Ban as of this morning’s report.

Prepared by Mark Goeller, Ass’t Director
Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services

A Red Flag Warning has been issued from 11:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. today for the following counties in SW Oklahoma: Harmon, Greer, Kiowa, Jackson, Tillman, Cotton, and Comanche. Temperatures are forecast to reach into the low 90s this afternoon with relative humidity readings in the low teens, and south winds sustained in the mid-teens with gusts into the mid-20 mph range. Where grassy fuels have not greened up and large areas of continuous fine dead fuels exist, any fire that starts has the potential to spread rapidly and burn very intensely under todays forecast conditions.

The remainder of Oklahoma will also experience high fire danger today in areas where grassy fuels have not greened up and the trees have not fully leafed out. Fire Danger will be influenced by dry fuels and very warm temperatures. Relative humidity readings are forecast range from mid-20% to low-30%. Temperatures may reach into the upper 80s to low 90s. In areas that have not greened up, grassy fuels will burn very intensely under today’s conditions. The main problem with fire control again today will be short range spotting and heat stress on firefighters due to the warm temperatures.

Special note to the public: Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).

There are no counties under a County Commissioner’s Burn Ban as of this morning’s report.

–Mark Goeller, Ass’t Director Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services

Fire occurrence is continuing to diminish in the Protection Area as Spring green up continues. The SE Area responded to one fire yesterday outside of the Protection Area in Choctaw County. The cause of the eighty-acre fire has been listed as arson.

The highest fire danger today will be seen west of a line running from Harper County to Love County. Fire Danger will mainly be influenced by dry fuels and warm temperatures. Relative humidity readings are forecast to drop into the low teens to low 20% range in this area. Temperatures may reach into the upper 80s. Winds will not be a factor today in relation to fire control. In areas that have not greened up, grassy fuels will burn very intensely under today’s conditions. The main problem with fire control today will be short range spotting and heat stress on firefighters due to the warm temperatures. While the remainder of Oklahoma will have dry air in place, light winds will mitigate fire danger enough that any fire that starts will not exhibit high resistance to control.

Special note to the public: Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).

Some counties remain under a County Commissioner’s Burn Ban. For a complete listing click on the link to the official Burn Ban Webpage.

Prepared by Mark Goeller, Ass’t Director Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services

Fire occurrence is continuing to diminish in the Protection Area as Spring green up continues. No fire control problems or requests for assistance from outside of the Protection Area were received yesterday. The highest fire danger today will be seen west of a line running from Harper County to Cotton County.

Fire danger will mainly be influenced by dry fuels and warm temperatures. Relative humidity readings are forecast to drop into the low teens to low 20% range in this area. Temperatures may reach into the upper 80s. Winds will not be a factor today in relation to fire control. In areas that have not greened up, grassy fuels will burn very intensely under today’s conditions. The main problem with fire control today will be short range spotting and heat stress on firefighters due to the warm temperatures. While the remainder of Oklahoma will have dry air in place, light winds will mitigate fire danger enough that any fire that starts will not exhibit high resistance to control.

Special note to the public: Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).

Some counties remain under a County Commissioner’s Burn Ban. For a complete listing click on the link to the official Burn Ban Webpage.

Prepared by Mark Goeller, Ass’t Director Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services

Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry
Forestry Services
PROTECTION AREA STATISTICS* for Time Period 0800 thru 0800, 04/17/09 thru 04/20/09
NE Area – 8 fires burned 445.5 acres (Causes: 4-Incendiary; 4-Debris)
EC Area – 0 fires burned acres (Causes: -Debris Burning)
SE Area – 0 fires

* Protection Area Statistics do not reflect local fire department’s fire run information. Statistics are for the ODAFF-Forestry Services’ eighteen county Fire Protection Area in eastern Oklahoma unless otherwise noted in the Discussion section of this report.

Discussion: Seven of the fires in Northeast Area fires were on Friday, April 17th. One large fire was reported on Friday, the Gray II Fire burned 400 acres in Cherokee County. Heavy rain began to fall in the Protection Area Saturday evening. Cherokee County received over three inches in Saturday’s event, with many other counties experiencing over one inch of moisture. No fire control problems or requests for assistance from outside of the Protection Area were received over the weekend.

The highest fire danger today will be seen in the following counties of SW Oklahoma: Beckham, Washita, Kiowa, Comanche, Cotton, Tillman, Jackson, Greer, and Harmon. Fire Danger in this area will mainly be influenced by dry fuels and warm temperatures. Winds will not be a factor today in relation to fire control. In areas that have not greened up, grassy fuels will burn very intensely under today’s conditions.

Special note to the public: Report any suspicious wildland fire activity on the Arson Tip Line: 1-866-662-7766 (1-866-NO ARSON).

Some counties remain under a County Commissioner’s Burn Ban. For a complete listing click on the link below to the official Burn Ban Webpage.

Prepared by Mark Goeller, Ass’t Director Oklahoma Department of Agriculture, Food and Forestry – Forestry Services