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SPC issues an Extreme Fire Weather Outlook for parts of the central Plains

By Scott Bachmeier •

1-minute GOES-19 Visible images with overlays of Fire Mask pixels, SPC Fire Weather Outlooks (yellow contours), and Surface Fronts (cyan) from 1701 UTC on 17 February to 0000 UTC on 18 February[click to play MP4 animation]

The Storm Prediction Center issued Extreme Fire Weather Outlooks that covered much of the central and southern Plains on 17 February 2026. A large-scale view of 1-minute Mesoscale Domain Sector GOES-19 (GOES-East) Visible images (below) included plots of Fire Mask pixels — which depicted the development of numerous wildfires, most notably along the Oklaohma/Kansas border.

A closer view using 1-minute GOES-19 Shortwave Infrared images (below) showed that the Ranger Road Fire began to burn in Beaver County, Oklahoma around 1716 UTC — and strong SW winds (with peak gusts in the 50-56 kt range) ahead of an approaching cold front helped this fire to make a rapid 60-mile run to the northeast, crossing the border into Meade/Clark/Comanche Counties in far southern Kansas. The Ranger Road Fire burned at least 145000 acres, and prompted the issuance of Fire Emergencies and evacuation orders ahead of its path.

1-minute GOES-19 Shortwave Infrared images, with plots of Surface Wind barbs and Peak Wind Gusts (yellow/red) and Surface Fronts, from 1701 UTC on 17 February to 0100 UTC on 18 February [click to play MP4 animation]

Near the leading edge of the fire (in Clark County in far southern Kansas), it exhibited a maximum 3.9 µm brightness temperature of 137.77ºC — which is the saturation temperature of GOES-19 Band 7 detectors — at 2354 UTC (below).

GOES-19 Shortwave Infrared image at 2354 UTC on 17 February, with a cursor sample showing a 3.9 µm infrared brightness temperature of 137.77ºC [click to enlarge]

Categories: Fire detection, GOES-19