Ticker for August 30, 2005

                
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More on Drought

As featured in yesterday's Ticker, much of southeast Oklahoma remains
mired in medium-to-long-term drought. Here's a look at precipitation
compared to the so-called normal since March 1:



One of the consequences of drought, of course, is dry vegetation, which
is a fire hazard. An additional consequence of drought, of course, is
dry soil, which is also a fire hazard. The following map shows the
Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI) from the Oklahoma Fire Danger Model
The OKFD Model was developed with leadership from Oklahoma State
University's College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources):



KBDI estimates the water content in the top eight inches of soil, and is
a very useful tool for wildfire management and mitigation. When KBDI's
creep up above 200, organic material in the soil can contribute to
fires. At KBDI's above 400, this organic material will participate even
more. At ranges above 650 and 700, the drought-associated fire hazard
is considered severe!

In southeast Oklahoma, where KBDI values sit at or near 700, the current
drought is exacerbating fire hazard in the region.