close
close

Red flag warnings in Chicago and Oklahoma as firefighters gain the upper hand following the Colorado fire

Red flag warnings in Chicago and Oklahoma as firefighters gain the upper hand following the Colorado fire

Amid a fall heat wave sweeping much of the country, rare red flag warnings have been issued for Chicago and western Oklahoma as firefighters reported gaining the upper hand after a wildfire threatened homes in Colorado.

It may be late October, but the US wildfire season has flared up again across the country as at least 11 active U.S. wildfires raged from California to New Jersey, officials said.

The National Weather Service has issued a red flag warning for western, northwestern and northern Oklahoma, where firefighters are battling several wildfires near the cities of Cushing, Chickasha, Cimmaron City, Wellston and Seiling. The fires prompted the evacuation of some homes and destroyed “a few” homes in Logan County, according to Logan County Emergency Management.

The largest active fire in Oklahoma is the Rush Fire, which has burned more than 40,000 acres in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge, about 70 miles southwest of Oklahoma City. The Rush Fire, which started Thursday, was 48% contained as of Tuesday evening, officials said.

The NWS also issued a red flag warning for the Chicago area on Tuesday, saying in an advisory: “Critical fire conditions are now occurring or will occur soon.” Temperatures rose to 82 degrees in Chicago on Tuesday, breaking a daily heat record.

Gusty winds and bone-dry conditions helped spread a grass fire that broke out south of Chicago on Tuesday, closing a portion of Interstate 74 due to smoky conditions, officials said.

The highest fire danger is forecast for the Southern Plains, including Oklahoma, Kansas and Texas, on Wednesday.

Dangerous fire conditions are also being seen in parts of New Mexico, where officials issued a “Ready Status” advisory for residents of Bonito Lake in Lincoln County to be prepared to evacuate if the Blue Front Fire, which started Monday and had burned 270 acres by Tuesday it gets worse.

Crews from the Colorado Springs Fire Department arrived in Teller County, Colorado on October 29, 2024 to assist with the Highland Lake Fire.

Teller County Sheriff’s Office

The Highland Lake Fire, which started around 4 p.m. Monday and burned 166 acres near the town of Divide, was 80% contained as of Wednesday afternoon, according to Colorado fire officials. All evacuation orders have been lifted, Teller County Sheriff Jason Mikesell said at a news conference Wednesday.

“The reason this has been so successful and the reason we are here 72 hours later and not seven days later is because of all the work that was done that first day and that first night,” Mikesell said.

The sheriff said investigators investigating the cause of the fire have focused on a building destroyed by flames. He said investigators suspect the fire was “man-made,” but it remains unclear whether the cause was an accident or a crime.

Mikesel said firefighters on the front lines faced winds of more than 50 miles per hour and gusts of more than 60 miles per hour on Tuesday, but were able to make significant progress in controlling the fire.

Mikesel approximately 150 firefighters fought the fire on Wednesday.

A local emergency was declared by the Teller County Board of Commissioners. One building was destroyed Monday evening, county officials said in an update.

No injuries have been reported.

The sheriff’s office was requested and received assistance from multiple agencies in the region in fighting the fire, Mikesell said.

The NWS has issued red flag warnings for dangerous fire conditions in the Divide area.

Elsewhere, a red flag warning was issued this week in Massachusetts, where firefighters continue to battle a 400-acre wildfire near Salem. Firefighters are also battling another wildfire that started Sunday and consumed at least 250 acres near Middleton, Massachusetts.

Increased wildfire warning across the country.

ABC News

At least 11 major active fires in the United States have burned more than 1 million acres, according to the National Interagency Fire Center. At least 4,000 forest firefighters were battling the blazes, the center said.

Wildfires are also raging in Michigan, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon and New Jersey.

The increased danger of wildfires comes from record high temperatures across the country. High temperature records were broken in dozens of cities on Monday, including Oklahoma City; Kansas City, MO; Wichita, Kansas, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Witchita Falls, Texas; and Austin, Texas.

Temperatures rose to nearly 80 degrees in Minneapolis on Monday.

The NWS also issued a rare red flag warning this week for New York City, which has not had any measurable rain in about a month.

In New Jersey, Governor Phil Murphy has issued a Draft Watch, advising businesses and residents to conserve water.

A wildfire that broke out last week in the drought-stricken area near Rockaway Township in Morris County, New Jersey, has destroyed nearly 200 acres, officials said.

On Monday, the NWS issued a special weather statement in Philadelphia and New York City warning of an increased risk of the spread of wildfires.

According to the statement, “vegetation remains very dry and could potentially become fuel for fires. These conditions will favor the spread of any fires, which could quickly become difficult to control.”