27 February 2024 Texas, Oklahoma
Yawwwn. Just another wild, wildfire. Today it is the dusty ole’ Texas Panhandle, oops, now the Oklahoma Panhandle, too. No big deal, 150,000-plus acres toasted in Roberts County alone… TODAY. Must be the wind and dry conditions (alone) again. Dang, climate change.
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May I quietly suggest watching the NASA Infrared Imagery animation? The sheer speed and breadth at which these intensely hot surface temperatures (black is hottest) appear and “grow” defies physics.
Dry fuel + high winds + added heat = inferno
Added heat, folks. Think of a propane torch feeding the flames instead of just a big fan (wind). Of course wind will increase the flames and carry embers, but as always, I contend that wind and dry fuel alone cannot cause such rapid and intense spread of fire. This is like Lahaina, Texas style, with far fewer structures and vested interests.