Wildfire in Texas, Oklahoma

The Stevens Fire ignited around 11:45 a.m. on February 17, 2026, approximately seven miles northwest of Hooker, Oklahoma, in Texas County. The fire burned 12,894 acres and was caused by human activities. Smoke from this fire reduced visibility along US Highway 54, which resulted in a seven vehicle accident and additional fire start(which became the Side Road Fire). Mandatory evacuations occurred for the town of Tyrone on the 17th and were lifted by the morning of February 21st. US Highway 54 was closed between Tyrone and Hooker due to smoke and fire activity. Five structures were burned: 4 barns and one house per OEMA. About 263 homes were threatened by this fire.

A strong upper level weather system moved across the High Plains region and brought down very strong winds to the surface from the late morning to the late afternoon on February 17, 2026. Many locations across the Oklahoma Panhandle observed wind gusts o 60mph or greater. These strong winds brought blowing dust and extreme critical fire weather conditions as well. Several wildfires developed due to the dry grasses, low relative humidity and high wind gusts. One wildfire in Beaver County burned into Kansas and consumed over 200,000 acres.