A strong storm driving gusty winds and dry air across a parched landscape was fueling dangerous fire conditions across a wide swath of the country, from eastern New Mexico and Colorado to parts of the Midwest. Forecasters warned that more outbreaks appeared likely going into the weekend.

High winds and dry weather fueled wildfires in Oklahoma and Texas, with winds so strong they toppled several semis.

Some towns have been evacuated due to nearby fires, while multiple roads are closed around the region – some due to near zero visibility triggered by sprawling dust storms; others due to smoke and flames from fast-moving wildfires.

Philadelphia hospital patients were also warned about possible exposure to the highly contagious virus just days after a warning for Dulles airport travelers.

Forecasters at the National Weather Service said on Friday that a “wildfire outbreak appears likely today” with dangerous fire weather conditions across a broad slice of the southern Great Plains and a portion of the Southwest and even into the Midwest.

The National Weather Service has said that Friday is a "day of concern" in Texas and Oklahoma because the cross-country storm is expected to drive gusty winds and dry air

Experts reported that the most likely place for a wildfire to spark is an area extending into north Texas across central Oklahoma into southeast Kansas. It was reported that winds, in extreme cases, c