#HTE

The Megafire Burning in Oklahoma (18 photos)

In western Oklahoma, a region suffering through an exceptionally harsh drought, and now enduring dangerously hot and dry conditions, several wildfires have recently broken out, including the Rhea Fire, a “megafire” which has burned more than 260,000 acres since April 12. Megafire is a term used by the National Interagency Fire Center for a wildfire larger than 100,000 acres. The Rhea Fire, one of four major wildfires currently burning across Oklahoma, has claimed two lives so far, destroyed dozens of homes, and is expected to remain uncontained through the weekend. For more details on the conditions in Oklahoma, read Why Is Oklahoma Burning? from the Weather Underground.

This April 13, 2018 satellite image from the European Space Agency’s Sentinel-2B shows part of the Rhea Fire burning just south of the town of Vici, Oklahoma, visible at lower left. (ESA / Copernicus Sentinel Data)
https://www.theatlantic.com/photo/2018/04/the-megafire-burning-in-oklahoma/558353/