Oklahoma is burning

[Joey Liberal]

Only the smoke came close to my home, but a lot of others in this state haven't been as lucky. The people of this state elected Sen. Inhofe (R-Insane), a man that does not believe in global warming. It's been in the 70's here in December. The winters have been getting milder and shorter every year.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. We're mild today in FL

but that is not that strange for us.

Stay safe.

[Joey Liberal]

2. Thanks

This place is dry as heck. The wind is blowing. Not good.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

5. Is your place threatened?

Is the wind in your direction? Do you have to wet down your house? How will you sleep tonight?

[Joey Liberal]

53. The fire near here was contained, but

It was scary this afternoon. The blaze was huge and just a few blocks from my home. Yes, I was scared for awhile...............

[malaise]

3. Stay safe

just heard that a Walmart is on Fire. Not sure if it's Texas or Oklahoma. It's unusually hot in the Northern Caribbean this year as well. Normally we take out blankets and sweaters by now but I have windows open and the fans on.

[FreedomAngel82]

28. Wow

Here it's 51 now. It's been going up and down the past month. :shrug: One day it'd be like in the upper 30's to 20's and than the next day it'd be in the upper 40's. :crazy:

[malaise]

33. Wow is right because it's January

and over the past 400 years most serious earthquakes have hit Jamaica in January. The experts say we we are well overdue for a biggie. I am crossing my fingers and toes. I'll take hurricanes anyday and I hate them.

http://www.jamaica-gleaner.com/pages/history/story0017.html
Edit correction - most of the earthquakes in the past 100 or so years have been in January. The last one was January 13th 1993 but that was mild 5.4.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

55. Here in Oregon, the trees are budding...

I kid you not. I've only been here about 8 years, but I've never seen this. The grass is greener too, we've had buckets of rain and mild temps.

[malaise]

87. Damn

a very early Spring. That's frightening.

Perhaps it's time to tell the fundies to remove Bushco or hell will freeze over.

[undergroundrailroad]

4. I truly hope we take global warming more serious. I think we need a

separate department (Department of Global Warming - DGW) or, even a cabinet post. 2003 and Hurricane Katrina was a MAJOR wakeup call. The research is there. But we need more research and a plan.

:hi:

[TallahasseeGrannie]

6. Isn't it too late?

I am clueless about this, so set me straight. I figure that by now all we can do is live with the consequences?

[chicagiana]

66. It's not too late to make things even worse ...

You can make things even worse if you do nothing.

[EuroObserver]

7. Good start to the plan:

1. Throw out your 'big energy' actual government (and any politician paid by that lobby).

2. (At a more fundamental level), prevent any such payments to, buying of (bribing of) your politicians from ever happening ever again. (Let lobbyists of course lobby, but let not money change hands).

(ed). 3. Invest (Big) in sane (ie. restrained, conservative) energy use and in sustainable alternatives.

[troubleinwinter]

8. "Historical" flooding, deluges, mudslides here in No. California....

we are about double our normal rainfall for the season-to-date.

[Nicole]

9. Hope you remain out of harm's way

It's very windy here today. I've been running my sprinkler system everyday for the past week. I don't use it that much during summer.

We have been breaking the high temp records for a couple of weeks. Inhofe is nuts.

On the bright side, my heater is not getting much use this month so I should save enough to pay the water bill.

[OKNancy]

25. Fucking ONG

I saw on my last bill that there is some sort of warm weather charge. In other words, when the weather is warm and you don't use your expected gas, they charge a fee. It was only .53, but still it pissed me off.

[Nicole]

42. Are you serious?

That should be illegal. I'm glad I don't have ONG, we have Center Point Energy here.

I'm sure they will give you a refund when the weather is extremely cold & you use a lot of gas. :sarcasm:

[Cleita]

10. I hope the deluge we are getting here in California moves

east to your state to put out the fires.

[mourningdove92]

11. So is Texas.

Lots of fires in my area. I live in Mineral Wells and the fire here was just north of me...very close. If the winds had changed, there would not have been anything we could do but load up cats and dogs and get the heck out of dodge. Its still burning, but appears to be west of us now. Praying the winds don't change.

[Zambero]

14. Pray for rain!

I had a narrow escape in Oregon several years back. Fortunately the situation changed for the better when the hot dry winds subsided. Hopefully the wind direction will stay favorable for you, which could also mean a less favorable outcome for others in the direct path of the fire. Shipping in some of that California moisture would be the best solution!

[peanutbrittle]

24. An old farmers advice

It would appear the OK Indians have dropped the ball

When pondering as to whether or not it will rain or storm. It is important to remember that the answer is directly proportional to the outcome of the Raindance. :+

[Kazak]

12. Really weird day today in Oklahoma...

I've lived here for 30 some odd years, and I've never seen anything like this before...

[Tess49]

13. Living here, I find this a bit worrisome. I tried to rake up all the

extremely dry leaves away from the sides of the house. A bit tough in 45mph wind. Turned the sprinkler system on. I'm afraid to do laundry. I'm afraid the heat from the dryer exhaust might cause a fire in some stray leaves. Everything is so dry and the humidity is so low that apparently anything can set off a fire. Am I overreacting? There are fires all around my town. OKC is getting clobbered. Take care.

[Maat]

17. For the ignorant,

are these fires anywhere near Enid, Oklahoma? I have some relatives there.

[Tess49]

18. I'm not sure about Enid. Wouldn't be surprised if they are, as

they seem to be all over the state.

[Maat]

22. Enid is west of Oklahoma City.

I guess I will have to call them.

[peanutbrittle]

37. Enid is 90 mi n of OKC......

The winds are a little lighter up there right now. wheat feild country and many of the feilds have tilled and planted so hopefully not as much of a problem

[Maat]

77. Oh, my bad.

Well, I supposed I'll have to call them and find out what is going on. But I'm not going to listen to a story about what a 'man of peace' Booosh is.

[peanutbrittle]

78. LOL...apparently he's drunk with the koolaid huh?....

I lived in Enid for about 10 years growing up. Vance AF Base, and wheat farmer town central so I can just imagine the typical political beliefs there . Still haven't heard of any Garfield county fires.

Very historical town, 89r land run, etc. There are 2 theories on the naming of the town. 1 was that enid was a camping / dining stop for the cowboys running cattle on the chisolm trail that runs through there. Someone turned one of the signs upside down to spell "enid". 2 is a founding citizens wife who's name was "Enid". But nobody REALLY knows for sure.

Just thought you might need that piece of info.

[Maat]

82. Thanks ... I think they told me about that, but ..

you still gave me a chuckle.

Thanks for the info.

Just tell me, is it possible for an Enidian to say a sentence (just one) without "the Lord" in it? I mean I'm a person of faith (non-Christian) and pretty tolerant, but it has gotten to the point where I have to hand the phone to my husband typically.

[peanutbrittle]

84. LOL.....

Like I say that is your typical small town in the heart of the bible belt. No chance of changing those folks ways. Add the military presence there and you've got the "praise jesus and pass the ammo" mentality.

Good luck! :)

[Maat]

85. That's it!

You understand!

Of course, I live in a very red part of Southern California, believe or not. We're about an hour and a half north of San Diego - inland, in the Temecula Valley. Fundamentalist churches everywhere.

I really am going to have to start up my 'Move All of the Progressives to California" campaign, just as soon as I get really rich.

[Joey Liberal]

51. It's VERY worrisome

Am I overreacting? There are fires all around my town. OKC is getting clobbered.
======
You are not over-reacting. There are fires all over the place. Parts of OKC look like it's been fire bombed. Guthrie, Oklahoma really got it bad. Big fire in Lawton too, but it's over, I think.

[Maat]

83. Joey,

it is very nice to know that there are progressives in Oklahoma. Unfortunately, my in-laws are not in the group (progressives, that is).

On a more serious note, please take care and safety energy headed your way.

[Jayhawk Lib]

15. Above normal in Kansas

The temperature here in Kansas is well above normal also. It is also very dry here and there is a ban on outside burning here.

I live in the country and burn my trash because I cannot afford trash service..I am getting quite an accumulation of trash because I cannot burn on account of the burn ban.

Global warming is taking it's toll also. If this country only had a true leader instead of a little rich boy hiding out in Texas playing with his toy farm.

Al Gore or John Kerry would have been on the job doing something about this problem.

[Nicole]

16. Forecast for tomorrow is worse

Winds up to 50 mph & 80°.

No rain in the forecast until the Jan. 9. :cry:

[madokie]

19. inhofe and dr tom r-insane

directly to the south of me is pasture land for about 3/4 mile from hiway 412 and this wind and dry conditions has me really worried. Just on the other side of the lake they lost 20 plus home about a month ago, 'mayes county.' I'm worried.

[blonndee]

20. Ugh, today has been scary! Fires around the metro, popping up

one after another, and the firefighters stretched to their limit. I watered down my dead grass today and will rake leaves tomorrow and rewater the grass, but with the winds like we had today, every single person in the neighborhood would have to do the same to make a real dent.

I live about a block and a half from RR tracks, too, which makes me a little nervous. Plus, with powerpoles and wires criss-crossing my back yard, I felt a bit vulnerable today. These fires burn so fast, if one pops up nearby, one might not even have time to evacuate.

[Quixote1818]

21. Now New Mexico is burning

I believe their are now four major fires burning near the Texas border. They just evacuated a Rest Home in Hobbs I believe.

[blonndee]

23. Holy hell...dammit. My parents live in NM, about 1 1/2 hrs from Hobbs.

They've had their share of fires, too. They live near Ruidoso.

[ultraist]

26. Wow, 30,000 acres destroyed.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/12/31/AR2005123100949.html

PINK, Okla. -- Oklahoma called on firefighters from across the South to help battle wildfire outbreaks that have already killed one person, charred 30,000 acres and destroyed about 100 homes across the state.

The state has been locked in a dry spell, and 50 mph winds, low humidity and temperatures in the 70s and 80s were forecast for Sunday.

Pastor Jim Senkel walks through the remains of his church, the First United Methodist Church, that was destroyed by a recent grass fire in Cross Plains, Texas, Thursday, Dec. 29, 2005. Senkel was hit doubly hard, losing both his church and his home, when a raging grass fire swept through this rural town Tuesday, destroying more than 90 homes and killing two people. But Senkel, an independent oil operator who has been a minister only three years, says his faith has not wavered because of the community's support and generosity. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum) (Matt Slocum - AP)
"That all adds up to very dangerous and extreme wildfire conditions," said Michelann Ooten, a spokeswoman for the Oklahoma Department of Emergency Management.

She said firefighting teams from Alabama and Tennessee arrived in the state Saturday, and additional teams were expected from Florida and North Carolina. State officials asked for 14 teams in all, each with two bulldozers, two fire engines and eight firefighters

****
Stay safe.

[malaise]

29. Are these states being further affected

by the missing national Guard at this time?

[EuroObserver]

36. Surely. And missing (quality) leadership.

From here in still drought-stricken (but quite cold) Spain: I feel for you folks.

[FreedomAngel82]

27. Oh gosh

:( 70 in winter?! Does Oklahoma get that warm in the winter?

[Tess49]

43. This is not typical for us. A couple of weeks ago it was in the

mid-twenties. It has been warm for many days now. More like spring.

[Cha]

30. But, he does believe in

Intelligent Design? That's wishful thinking on his part just like..there IS NO GLOBAL WARMING!

I'm really sorry about all the burning in your State and I hear there's burning in Texas, too.

[seabeyond]

31. i am in the panhandle of texas.

all my windows and doors were opened today. i am just now shutting them and turning on the heat. left open beyond dark, now a bit chilly. thinking of the gas bill i have sittin there unopened i am not complaining, but i hear you

[ashling]

32. crispy okies

We have had some good size fires down here in Texas as well.

[OKNancy]

34. I just turned on CNN -OMG

Oklahoma City looks horrible. I didn't realize it was this bad.

[peanutbrittle]

35. Local channels showing

Fires on the east side of okc 50th and Sooner rd & 63rd and coltrane
North of Hwy 33 near guthrie penn to hwy 74 (may ave)

122 & penn & 33rd and kelly (Edmond) earlier

[OKNancy]

38. My sister lives near OCU

Any problenms there? She is not answering her phone.
( I'm in Tulsa, and all is fine here)

[peanutbrittle]

40. No...the interior parts of okc are fine

The east side of okc has a lot of trees and estates spread far apart

She's fine

[madokie]

56. we're smelling smoke here in chouteau.

[Joey Liberal]

58. Been smelling smoke and could see flames here

Not a good feeling........

[Joey Liberal]

52. It's crazy

Wow.

[XOKCowboy]

39. Where I Come From...

in NE OK all the ranchers are all checking the horizon for smoke right now. Anyone with a cigarette can start a major blaze with the winds and dry brush and grass. All of the ranchers have one or more spray rigs and mobilize to help each other out. That's out in the prairie where there aren't any houses. With all the urban sprawl now the prairie isn't as open as it used to be.

[karlrschneider]

44. It's calmed down for the night (I hope) here (40 mi. E of Tulsa), been

monitoring all the emergency channels on 3 radios all day, we had a few
fires pop up but the wind has died down now and things seem to be under control for the time being but like someone said, one carelessly tossed cig or some idiot trying to burn trash can create a disaster real fast.

[pitohui]

41. well stay safe

i have decided to keep copies of all of my financial information in a distant location, trying to round up bank accounts and paperwork when you are evacuated for an unknown period of time is no fun

[peanutbrittle]

45. No moisture in the forecast and

Tuesday will be another "Extreme" day dry, warm and windy

[malaise]

46. This is serious as hell

ten miles from the city. One fire is a mile wide. Take valuables and get out people.

[TNDemo]

47. Does anyone know about the Mustang fire?

I have a friend on Stewart Rd. and wondered if they had any houses burn. I know it is just a mile or two from the start of it but have not seen Stewart Rd. in any of the news reports.

[peanutbrittle]

48. watching local news and haven't heard.......

if i hear i will post. They are saying that there are about 15 fires in ok right now

[Joey Liberal]

57. Haven't heard about Mustang

Guthrie and parts of OKC are in bad shape. One big fire on the southeast side of Lawton, but it was contained.

[Scout1071]

67. Damn. My family has had a farm in Guthrie since the OK Land Rush of 1889.

Great-great Grandparents and all.

[peanutbrittle]

73. I would place the fire about 10 mi west of guthrie

I love the 89r history. Very historical area

[Bluebear]

49. RUN, GEORGE, RUN!

People are suffering! Fly away to some Western resort!

[peanutbrittle]

50. I wonder if the national gaurd is performing a clandestine

operation right now and helicopters are dumping water on the crawford ranch

[madokie]

54. While my old okie ass is worring about if I'll get burned out tonight

wouldn't susprise me to see him pack up and leave, hell he just done that today.

[EuroObserver]

75. Make damn sure his mercenaries

don't mistake you folks for looters.

:: Thanks for this thread. This is very real. This (my) part of the mediterranean coast burns increasingly (ancient woodlands) every summer (but not yet in winter). Afterwards, developers (including golf courses) tend to move in (consuming even more water)...

[peanutbrittle]

59. Working fires right now and local update

okc, guthrie/ crescent/ multiple homes lost se of crescent- cimarron city, stigler, wainright, okay, wellstone area, 5 homes burned down in duncan area, slick, shamrock, welty, cashion, mcloud
homes lost in prague, bristow

County fires- okfuskee, garvin, okla, mclain, rogers wagoner, mcurtain

Fire command center set up in shawnee

12 active fires in OK right now

Governers press conference at 8:00 pm

They can't use helicopters because of the wind or dark

[Joey Liberal]

60. Thanks for that great update!

Oklahoma is suffering tonight............

[RedEarth]

63. They just reported the fire jumped Sooner Road....

not a good sign....

[Joey Liberal]

65. That's a very bad sign

[peanutbrittle]

71. It jumped the Cimarron River up near Guthrie...

My dad was one of the original founding crowd for the Red Earth celebration and I volunteered some time in the early days. I look forward to it every year :)

[RedEarth]

74. I'm concerned this might go on for days....low humidity, high winds...

some of these fires were just a few miles from our house....I-35 and Memorial. Red Earth is a great event. We've been several times. My nic was chosen to honor the Indian heritage of Oklahoma.

[chicagiana]

61. Well, that doesn't say much ...

You can look back and find mild winters.

What is much more telling is the melting perma-frost, ice-sheets and glaciers at the poles. It shouldn't do that.

[Name removed]

62. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RedEarth]

68. Good?????????????????????

I fucking live here!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Name removed]

70. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[RedEarth]

72. Sure is...I can tell you're really concerned....

[Joey Liberal]

64. The curse of Bush has hit Oklahoma n.t

[Bouncy Ball]

69. I'm in Texas and we've been running the air conditioning

all day. I finally gave up and turned it on. It hit 82 degrees today. It's been like this for almost two weeks and the forecast shows more hot weather in the next week, at least.

And no rain.

:-(

On edit, and high winds every day, up to 40 mph. Some assholes were shooting off firecrackers last night, even though there's been a ban on them. We went outside to make sure nothing caught.

[SPKrazy]

76. Dry as a bone- here in Arkansas too

12 inches behind in rainfall

Went to Muskogee, OK today to visit in laws, smoke on the horizon, winds whipping up the fires, and dry, dry dry! 25% humidity is not normal for this part of Oklahoma

Global Warming is winning

[SPKrazy]

79. Don't forget Crazy Coburn from Oklahoma

The Muskogee doc who ties retarded women's tubes without their permission.

[Joey Liberal]

80. Oklahoma has the WORST congressional delegation

And every county in the state voted for Bush in 2004.

[SPKrazy]

81. I thought Sequoyah was the exception?

I'm probably wrong

But yes, they are the reddest state around, perhaps even redder than Texas or Kansas

[Kazak]

88. That certainly doesn't mean there aren't any liberals here!

We're simply outnumbered, that's all, but you might be surprised how at just how organized the liberals are here in this state...mostly out of necessity.

[peanutbrittle]

86. Joe Bastardi says 1933 Dust Bowl Days

was a very dry warm winter to campare to

The fascists have reversed the clock to just before Hitler!