On February 17, 2026, a series of rapid-spreading wildland fires ignited across the U.S. southern Plains, primarily affecting the Oklahoma Panhandle. The confluence of high winds and dry conditions exacerbated the blazes, which rapidly consumed tens of thousands of acres of grasslands and shrublands.
The Ranger Road fire, the largest among them, erupted near Beaver, Oklahoma, in the afternoon, spreading swiftly throughout the day. By evening, it had spread into Kansas, consuming an estimated 145,000 acres (587,000 hectares), as reported by the Oklahoma Forestry Service. The Stevens and Side Road fires near Tyrone, Oklahoma, added to the total, with more than 155,000 acres burned on that day alone.
The Ranger Road fire displayed characteristics of a "fast fire," a potentially destructive type of blaze characterized by rapid spread. These fires typically burn in grasslands and shrublands rather than forests, often erupting during dry autumn and winter periods, and are accelerated by strong winds. Wind gusts as high as 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour were recorded across the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles on February 17, according to the National Weather Service.
The fires resulted in structural damage, threatened farmland and livestock, and prompted evacuation orders for parts of western Oklahoma and southern Kansas. In response, Oklahoma's governor declared a disaster emergency for counties in the Panhandle. Persistent winds and dry conditions persisted on February 18, leading to further fire growth. The Ranger Road and Stevens fires approximately doubled in size that day.
A red flag warning persisted across the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles on February 19, 2026, as forecasts predicted wind gusts of up to 40 miles per hour (64 kilometers) alongside extremely low relative humidity. These conditions resulted in significant hazards from wind-blown dust throughout the region.
In a tragic incident near Pueblo, Colorado, west of the depicted scene, multiple vehicle collisions occurred on Interstate 25 due to poor visibility caused by dust. Reports indicate that dozens of vehicles were involved in this pileup. Meanwhile, officials in southern New Mexico cautioned travelers about hazardous conditions due to blowing dust.
This image was produced by Lauren Dauphin for NASA Earth Observatory, using MODIS data from NASA EOSDIS LANCE and GIBS/Worldview. The original story was reported by Lindsey Doermann on February 17, 2026.
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