Oklahoma wildfire burns more than 12,000 acres in wildlife refuge

National Weather Service office NormandyOklahoma warns of dangerous situations fire weather conditionsIncluding the area around the Rush Fire, which burned more than 12,000 acres in the Wichita Mountains National Wildlife Refuge.

entire shelter indiahomaOklahoma, about an hour and a half southwest Oklahoma CityIt was closed to the public last Saturday. At a press conference, Wildfire Refuge Manager Amber Zimmerman said this was done to ensure firefighters and other first responders could work unimpeded.

Rush Fire is burning the Wichita Mountains in Oklahoma.

(Comanche County/Lawton Emergency Management)

Bone dry conditions combined with temperatures above seasonal norms created a fire threat in some parts of the centre. WE for the start of the week. parts Oklahoma Monday will see high temperatures in the 90s.

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The refuge reported on social media that the fire started last Thursday and has already reached more than 12,000 acres. While private lands are affected, the fire is active only in the private use area of ​​the refuge. These are areas that are not open to public use.

Langford Comanche Emergency Management lifted evacuation orders this weekend but warned people in the south. wildlife The shelter is already dealing with too much smoke. Emergency Director Clint Langford said people with respiratory problems should take safety measures. Approximately 150 people from 20 institutions were assigned to extinguish the flames.

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when it comes animalsThose in the shelter adapted to the fire as a “natural process,” Zimmerman said. He said the fire is not a major threat to the animals at the refuge, including Wichita’s Bison herd, which has managed to escape the currently burned areas.

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge is one of the nation’s oldest preserves, established in 1901 by President William McKinley.