Southwest Oklahoma blaze nearly extinguished

LONE WOLF — A wildfire that ravaged Flat Top Mountain for over a week is nearly extinguished, Oklahoma Forestry Services reported Monday morning.

The fire is about 75 percent contained with only some interior burning, said Michelle FinchWalker, a spokeswoman for the forestry service.

On Monday morning, the forestry service turned the fire back over to the Lone Wolf Fire Department, which continues to monitor the remaining situation, Finch-Walker said.

“Typically, they watch it for awhile before calling it,” she said. “It’s in really good shape.”

The fire, sparked by lightning June 23, has since burned 2,975 acres of rugged terrain southeast of Quartz Mountain in Kiowa County. At its peak, the Lone Wolf Fire Department was joined by forestry services, the National Guard, highway patrol aircraft and other emergency response agencies, all working around the clock.

Crews built fire lines and put structure protection in place around camps and area residences to defend those areas. None of the camps were occupied during the blaze.

One firefighter was treated for heat exhaustion when the heat index topped 116 degrees and has since been released from a local hospital. Another firefighter was admitted for potential heart issues. No update was available on his condition, Finch-Walker said.

Michael Scotten, senior forecaster with the National Weather Service’s Norman office, said hot temperatures, sunny skies and erratic winds last week helped ignite the fire and made it difficult for firefighters to combat.

Cloud cover, cooler temperatures and lighter winds over the past several days have since helped firefighters contain the blaze.

Wildfires this time of year are somewhat unusual, Scotten said, but above-average rainfall in recent years contributed to thriving vegetation, which means there is more material to burn. Temperatures close to 105 degrees, combined with sporadic rainfall over the last month, created a dry area vulnerable to sparks, he said.