Oklahoma wildfires kill 2; threat nears historic level

Wildfires that have killed two people in western Oklahoma are nearing conditions not seen in at least a decade because of the mixture of high temperatures, low humidity and heavy winds, the National Weather Service said today.

Weather service meteorologist Doug Speheger said tomorrow's forecast represents the most potential for the spread of wildfires in the past 10 years of a database that considers a variety of factors.

Temperatures are projected to reach the mid-90s with humidity below 10 per cent and winds gusting to 64 kph. The forecast includes northwestern Texas and the Texas Panhandle where firefighting aircraft is stationed in Amarillo, Childress, Abilene and Fort Stockton.

"With these conditions wildfires can spread rapidly, present control issues for firefighters and pose a real threat to public safety," said Texas A&M Forest Service Fire Chief Mark Stanford.

The area also is in extreme to exceptional drought, the two most severe designations.

Firefighters sent by the US Forest Service's Southern Area Coordination Centre are fighting one fire that's burned more than 245,000 acres near Leedey, about 180 kilometres northwest of Oklahoma City and another blaze that's burned nearly 68,000 acres near Woodward, about 32 kilometres north of Leedey.

"We're out there strengthening fire lines ... widening lines to make sure they're in real good shape with the wind that is on the horizon," said spokesman Todd Schroeder at the scene of what's known as the Rhea Fire near Leedey. "The winds that we may have tomorrow may make this really stand up and run again."