More than 55,000 acres have burned
FRANKFORT, Ky. (April 7, 2016) — The Kentucky Division of Forestry (KDF) dispatched four firefighters to the 350 Complex Fire to assist the state of Oklahoma as part of the Southern Wildland Fire Compact. The employees, along with two, type-6 Wildland Fire Engines, departed from Kentucky this morning and may be on assignment up to 14 days before returning home.
Arcing power lines caused the fire located approximately six miles north of Woodward, Oklahoma. As of yesterday morning, 55,308 acres have burned. Numerous local wildland task forces and Oklahoma Forestry Services employing five fixed wing Air Tankers are battling the blaze.
Being a member of the Southern Wildland Fire Compact ensures that other states can assist Kentucky should a future fire situation require their help. The division is able to send these resources from the north central and western portions of Kentucky due to the predicted above normal precipitation over the next couple of weeks, current low fire occurrences in these areas and a leaf out of trees and vegetation that is ahead of schedule.
Forestry officials want to remind private landowners, public land managers and homeowners to help prevent wildland fires. To find out how you can prevent a wildfire from striking your home, visit the Kentucky Division of Forestry website at http://forestry.ky.gov/. For more information about national wildfires, visit http://www.nifc.gov.
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