Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge to conduct prescribed burns this week, some delays or road closures are possible

Wichita Mountains Wildlife Refuge will conduct prescribed burns Tuesday, January 3 through Friday, January 6, 2023. Recent weather conditions have presented an opportunity for wildland fire staff to conduct much needed burns in and around the Headquarters Area, Corrals and on the west end of the Refuge on the south and west sides of Indiahoma Road.

During the prescribed burn, sections of Indiahoma Road from the Indiahoma Gate to Refuge Headquarters and sections of Hwy 49 from Panther Creek to Pinchot Gate may be delayed due to smoke and fire operations.

For the safety of the public and refuge staff, traffic control may be employed until the project is completed potentially causing delays for refuge visitors and local residents. The refuge will make every attempt to keep closures at a minimum and to areas that are directly impacted by the daily scope of work. Smoke will likely be visible from a great distance during the burn. After completion, residual smoke may persist in the area for a few days. The burn areas are closed to the public during fire operations and visitors must not enter areas with fires underway.

Prescribed burns are implemented under a strict set of guidelines and weather parameters to provide for public and firefighter safety and to limit potential smoke impacts to residents and visitors in the area. Burns will take place when wind conditions will avoid sending smoke into populated or smoke sensitive areas. If predicted and actual weather conditions do not meet the prescribed plan parameters, the burns will be rescheduled.

Prescribed burning is a habitat management tool commonly used on federal, state, and private lands in Oklahoma and across the country. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service uses prescribed burning to restore and revitalize refuge ecosystems, reduce the potential for catastrophic wildfires, and to control invasive plants like Old World Bluestem. Implementation of this plan helps the refuge preserve and maintain natural environmental processes that support a variety of plant communities and promote forage utilization by bison, elk, and deer.

If necessary, further road closure information will be available on the Refuge website at: www.fws.gov/refuge/wichita_mountains, Facebook, or by contacting the Refuge Visitor Center at 580-429-2197.