Warm, dry and windy weather in Oklahoma has fueled multiple wildfires and prompted authorities to urge nearly one-third of the residents of the small city of Woodward to flee.

Matt Lehenbauer, director of emergency management for Woodward and its nearly 12,000 inhabitants, said the evacuation recommendation covers roughly 4,000 people. It is voluntary, he said, because Oklahoma prohibits mandatory evacuations.

The wildfire in Woodward, about 140 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, is approaching a “worst-case scenario,” Lehenbauer said, but it hasn’t moved into the most populated area of the city.

A blaze in Beaver County at the base of the Oklahoma Panhandle, about 217 miles northwest of Oklahoma City, has consumed an estimated 15,000 acres alone, Oklahoma Forestry Services said.The agency posted video of golden farmland set against the backdrop of roiling flames and dark smoke rising and sidestepping like a thunderstorm.

“The fire in Beaver County is continuing to spread,” Gov. Kevin Stitt said in a statement. “Winds are gusting over 65 mph.”

Stitt said he was being briefed at the State Emergency Operations Center, which was tracking the larger fires, including one in Texas County.

The fires consumed fuel along the western and northwestern areas of the state as unusually warm weather, predicted by the National Weather Service to reach as much as 25 degrees above normal during the day, was joined by gusting winds out of the southwest of more than 60 mph.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether anyone has been injured or structures have burned.

The Beaver County fire on Tuesday crossed into Kansas, that state’s forest service said. The focus of firefighting efforts is in the city of Englewood, the Kansas Forest Service said.

Gov. Laura Kelly had issued an emergency proclamation Sunday warning of dangerous fire weather through Thursday.

Kansas’ emergency operations center was staffed Tuesday with personnel from the State Fire Marshal Office, the Kansas Forest Service, the Kansas Highway Patrol and state Transportation Department, state officials said. Parts of Interstate 70 and U.S. 50 were closed as wind-driven dust creates poor visibility, Kansas officials said in a statement.

The Oklahoma Agriculture Department said temperatures along the western edge of the state could reach as high as 85 degrees Wednesday.

The weather service office in Norman, Oklahoma, said the fire weather could stick around until at least Friday. The state Agriculture Department said in a statement that conditions will start to weaken Thursday as winds shift from the southwest to the northwest, pulling in cooler air.

According to the National Interagency Fire Center, new fires also erupted in Texas, New Mexico and Missouri as the warm, dry air settled into the Central Plains following a storm front over the weekend.

The National Weather Service said Tuesday that more than 21 million people were under fire weather watches, triggered when sustained high winds and dry weather are expected to create extreme fire danger. Another 11 million were under red flag warnings, which warn of imminent critical fire weather, according to the agency.

Oklahoma City Ballet is set to present one of the most iconic love stories of all time as Romeo & Juliet takes the stage at the Civic Center Music Hall.

Under the direction of Devon Carney, the production brings Shakespeare’s tragic tale to life from Feb 20-22 through expressive choreography and dramatic storytelling.

Set to Sergei Prokofiev’s sweeping and emotionally charged score, the ballet follows the young star-crossed lovers as their families’ bitter feud leads to heartbreak.

Audiences can expect grand ballroom scenes, intense sword fights and intimate pas de deux moments that capture both the passion and peril of the classic story. The visually rich staging and detailed costumes aim to transport viewers to Renaissance-era Verona.

Performances include both evening and matinee shows throughout the weekend.

Click here to see showtimes and buy tickets.

Following last year’s run to the NAIA National Championship game, Oklahoma Wesleyan had the tough task of replacing not one, but two All-Americans. Now one year later, the Eagles have a better record and are back in the national title conversation.

“To be where we’re at right now is just honestly halfway a miracle that we’re in a great situation like we are,” says head coach Donnie Bostwick.

That situation…a number five national ranking, and a 23-3 record.

“People talk about a lot of little things that separate you and stuff. We just keep talking God, keep talking hard work, and it keeps paying off,” says Bostwick.

The Eagles feature a roster that is 15 players deep, has the 20th best scoring defense in the country, while averaging more than 81 points per game.

“We just ask guys to sacrifice a little bit of playing time to play harder,” adds Bostwick. “Possessions are more valuable than time on the clock, so make your possessions more valuable. And over a period of time, we’ve been able to win a lot of close games.”

With Saturday’s 36-point win over York on Senior Day, the Eagles clinched their 5th straight KCAC title, and more importantly, punched their ticket to the national tournament for the 19th straight year.

“It’s just so motivating to keep the streak and keep the culture alive here. I think it runs for everybody. Everybody wants to keep it going, and obviously it’s just another notch to the belt, but we’re not done, we’re not done yet,” says redshirt junior forward Nick Bene.

The ultimate goal is to add another national championship banner to the wall, and the extra motivation comes from last year’s runner-up finish.

“We want the red one, we want the big one. We want to get the natty this year. It definitely pushes us every day. Some days you don’t want to go to practice, or you’re tired, or you’re hurting, or you might have a little bit of injuries, but pushing through that injury, or that pain, or that tiredness so we can host that for all the seniors,” says junior guard Yashi McKenzie.

Current NAIA national tournament projections have the Eagles as a one-seed and hosting a regional in Bartlesville. Head coach Donnie Bostwick doesn’t want his team looking that far ahead, but he likes having those goals in front of his team.

“Destiny’s in our own hands. Last year, we had to go all the way to Iowa. They didn’t give us much love with Lietzke going down mid-season. That was our path. God had a great plan; it made our story even greater, I think. But I’d love to play our regional here and have our legs a little more under us so maybe we can even finish the job this year and go all the way.”

With just two games remaining in the regular season, Oklahoma Wesleyan is using the same mentality that led to last year’s success: focus on faith, not wins and losses.

“They felt that. They continue that same focus on him. You don’t focus on losing, you don’t focus on winning, you just focus on him. Losing makes you have fear; winning gives you too much pride. So we just focus on each other, and joy, and a lot of other things. You win the little battles, you win the big battles usually,” says Bostwick.