Wildfire — Osage, Oklahoma

2005-11-27 to 2005-11-30 · Osage, Oklahoma

Event narrative

A powerful low pressure center tracked across the Central Plains on the 27th with a central pressure below 990 mb. A swath of damaging winds and dew point temperatures in the single digits and teens swept into eastern Oklahoma behind the associated dry line during the afternoon and evening of the 27th. The wind behind the dry line gusted to between 60 and 70 mph across a large portion of northeastern Oklahoma downing power lines in a number of locations. Downed power lines sparked grass fires that quickly grew out of control, whipped by the strong winds and driven by the very low humidity and dry vegetation. Many fires occurred; nine were very large and damaging. Thirty-five homes were destroyed along with numerous outbuildings and automobiles. About a dozen firefighters and residents suffered minor injuries including smoke inhalation and minor burns. An estimated 35,000 acres were burned in this event in eastern Oklahoma.Update: One of the men injured/burned in a wildfire in McIntosh County on November 27th died of those burns in late December.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5479881. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.