Oklahoma Governor Declares Emergency Over Panhandle Wildfires

At least one area was evacuated due to the wildfires, he says, as windy and dry conditions continue across the region.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt updates the media on a deadly tornado that ripped through a small town, in Barnsdall, northeast Oklahoma, on May 7, 2024. Brandon Bell/Getty Images

Wildfires burned across the Oklahoma Panhandle and in southwestern Kansas on Tuesday and Wednesday, prompting Oklahoma’s governor to declare a state of emergency on Wednesday morning.

Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt said he declared an emergency in parts of the Oklahoma Panhandle region due to the fires, while Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly issued a state of disaster emergency earlier this week due to dry and windy weather conditions that could drive wildfires in the state.