Wildfire Chaos: A Chicago‑Sized Blaze Sweeps Two States

The sky turned orange over Oklahoma and Kansas when the Ranger Road Fire erupted on Tuesday afternoon, quickly expanding to a size that rivals Chicago.
In just eight hours the blaze consumed an area equivalent to three or four football fields every second, leaving over 145,000 acres scorched and no containment in sight.

• The fire began in Beaver County, Oklahoma, stretching about 60 miles into southern Kansas.
• Thousands of residents in towns like Englewood and Ashland were forced to evacuate.

Dual Fires: Ranger Road & Woodward

• Woodward, Oklahoma—home to around 12,000 people—saw a second blaze that prompted mass evacuations.
• The university campus shut down until conditions improved; most evacuation orders lifted by late Tuesday, but the campus remains closed.

State Response

• Governor Kevin Stitt declared a disaster emergency for Beaver, Texas and Woodward counties.
• Aerial support was requested from Texas, but high winds made flight operations unsafe.
• Ground crews, hoses, and bulldozers were deployed to establish fire lines.

Outlook

The combination of scorching heat, dry fuels, and strong winds paints a grim picture for the coming days. Fire crews face an uphill battle to contain expanding blazes while protecting communities and infrastructure.