Photo: Oklahoma Fires Burn 50 Homes

The wildfires continue to rage in Oklahoma, while a brutal long-term drought continues in the Southern Plains.

Two fires scorched 8000 acres and burned 50 homes Thursday near Duncan, according to this article.

Here's today's AP Photo, which is almost too heart-wrenching to show:

A house is destroyed by a grass fire in Meridan, Okla. Wednesday, March 1, 2006. Grass fires raged across Oklahoma on Wednesday, injuring five firefighters, destroying homes and other buildings and forcing evacuations of schools and businesses, authorities said. (AP Photo/The Duncan Banner, Roger Calger)

The drought was already in full effect at the end of 2005, but 2006 has brought no rescue with around 10 percent or less of normal precip falling this year over much of the area.