NWS Issues Fire Weather Watch for 47 Oklahoma Counties

Authorities are warning that more wildfires could be possible across Oklahoma as winds increase from the southwest.

The National Weather Service has issued a fire weather watch for Monday that includes 47 counties in western, central and eastern sections of the state. Cleveland, Comanche, Garfield, Jackson, Kay, Oklahoma, Pittsburg, and Tulsa counties are included in the watch.

A lingering drought and an unyielding heat wave have made Oklahoma more susceptible to grass fires this year. Over the weekend, large wildfires destroyed at least 13 homes in Edmond in central Oklahoma.

The weather service says the fire weather watch was issued because southwest winds of 20 mph with gusts of up to 30 mph are possible on Monday.