Winter Fire Danger Heightened Across Oklahoma This Week

Elevated fire danger is on tap for most of Oklahoma the remainder of the week. Multiple dry cold fronts will be making their way into Oklahoma from Thursday to Saturday and will increase fire danger across the state.

Fire danger isn't unusual in December for Oklahoma, but according to Comanche County Emergency Management, this year's conditions are different. Oklahoma experienced a historically wet spring and summer which have resulted in heavy vegetation growth.

All of that vegetation is now dried out and is the perfect fuel for a wildfire. With the unseasonably warm temperatures and the lack of moisture, coupled with the incoming dry cold fronts, wildfires over the next few days will be able to easily spark and spread rapidly.

Parts of Oklahoma are at an Elevated or Near-Critical Fire Risk Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

The National Weather Service in Norman has already issued fire risk levels for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. As of Wednesday, Dec. 17, portions of northwest, western and southwest Oklahoma are at a near-critical risk Thursday, while the rest of the state is at an elevated risk.

Portions of the western part of the state will remain at an elevated risk through Saturday.

READ MORE: A Look Back At Oklahoma's Significant Christmas Weather Events

Oklahoma to remain dry and warm through the rest of the year.

A white Christmas definitely isn't in the forecast for Oklahoma. Now that we're a week out from Christmas, Oklahoma residents can pretty much guarantee a warm and dry Christmas and New Year's.

Oklahoma is expected to experience above average temperatures through New Year's Eve, along with below average chances of precipitation.