TEXOMA (KXII) – Fierce winds tore across parts of the country Friday, and Texoma was right in the path.

Roads and skies that were clear just a day before had an orange hue and decreased visibility on Friday.

The extra dust hanging in the air coupled with high winds knocked down power lines, pushed semi trucks to their sides, and spread fires.

The problems started early Friday morning with a fire in Gunter and lasted throughout the day as gusts forced controlled burns out of control.

That’s why, for the first time in years, the Texoma area was placed under a Red Flag Warning.

That happens in special situations where low humidity and dry conditions meet high wind speeds.

Fire can spread much faster in a Red Flag area, and if a controlled burn does get out of control, there could be legal consequences.

And even if there’s no fire, the wind can cause problems on its own.

For example, in Pottsboro Friday afternoon, a power pole split in half and blew into a tree near downtown homes.

Another pole on the same street was completely ripped out of the ground and tossed into the street, leaving power lines sprawled across the road.

In this case, first responders and electrical crews were able to quickly block of the area and turn off the power to prevent any accidents.

In Ardmore and nearby parts of Southern Oklahoma, the winds uprooted trees, flattened sheds, and damaged roofs and gutters.

More than 130 fires were reported in 44 Oklahoma counties to the state Emergency Operations Center, including Choctaw, Johnston, Love, Marshall, Pontotoc and Stephens.

By Saturday morning, the winds should die back down to normal levels, but the dust may hang around until Saturday night hen a small cold front blows through and whisks it away.

Until then, stay safe and stay weather aware.

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