Evacuation orders issued as wildfires continue burning through Oklahoma and Texas
Hundreds of homes have been destroyed, and thousands of acres burned as wildfires continue to spread across Oklahoma and Texas on Wednesday, March 19, 2025. Emergency officials have issued new evacuation orders in Oklahoma’s Logan and Pawnee counties, while Texas remains under a widespread burn ban with several large fires still active.
A home burning in the Stillwater fire Oklahoma. Image credit: Jake Streck
New evacuations were ordered in Oklahoma early March 19 for the town of Meridian and the community of Seward in Logan County as wildfires continued to spread amid prolonged dry conditions.
Areas just north of Oklahoma City were evacuated on March 18 due to the spread of the 33 Road Fire. As of that date, the fire had burned more than 12 950 ha (32 000 acres) and damaged over 50 structures, according to the Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Since last week, over 113 homes have been destroyed in Logan County alone. Fires in Stillwater also destroyed the farmhouse of Governor Kevin Stitt. The Oklahoma Office of Emergency Management reported that at least 400 homes have been burned statewide.
Fast-moving fires in western Oklahoma prompted the National Weather Service in Norman to issue a Fire Warning for Roger Mills and Beckham counties on March 19. Additional wildfire evacuations were also ordered that morning in Pawnee County, northern Oklahoma.
Multiple wildfires have burned across Texas since last week, with nine active fires reported as of 11:00 LT on March 19. Three major fires have each burned more than 20 235 ha (50 000 acres), while six smaller fires are nearly contained, according to reports. A total of 137 counties across Texas remain under a burn ban.
The Windmill Fire in Roberts County is the largest of the blazes, having burned over 9 426 ha(23 297 acres) since it ignited on March 14, about 35 km (22 miles) south of Perryton. It is now 99% contained.
The second-largest fire, the High Lonesome Fire in Dallam County, has burned over 7 285 ha (18 000 acres) and is 65% contained. It broke out on March 18, spreading rapidly across private land and the Rita Blanca National Grassland.
The Crabapple Fire, which ignited on March 15 northeast of Fredericksburg in Gillespie County, has burned 3 939 ha (9 737 acres) and is 90% contained.
References:
1 New evacuations issued as wildfire threat persists in Oklahoma, Texas – Fox Weather – March 19, 2025
2 Fire Danger: CURRENT SITUATION – Texas Forest Service – March 19, 2025
I am an Assistant Editor and Severe Weather & Science Journalist at The Watchers, specializing in real-time severe weather coverage, geophysical event reporting, and research-driven scientific analysis. You can reach me at rishav(at)watchers(.)news.
Commenting rules and guidelines
We value the thoughts and opinions of our readers and welcome healthy discussions on our website. In order to maintain a respectful and positive community, we ask that all commenters follow these rules.