Wildfires engulfed parts of the plains beginning Monday and continue to burn more than 1,000 square miles as strong winds fan the flames. Thousands have been evacuated while some 2,000 firefighters have rushed to battle blazes in Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas and Colorado, ABCNews reported. 

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Six deaths have been reported due to the fires, which prompted Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin to declared a state of emergency in 22 counties.

(MORE: Plains Wildfires Nearly Double in Size) 

It is too soon to know yet how many animals perished. In Clark County, Kansas, alone ranchers so far have lost about 2,500 adult cattle and at least 1,000 calves, said Randall Spare, co-owner of Ashland Veterinary Center. Rancher Gardiner likened the scene to a battle zone: carcasses of dead cattle everywhere.

"It's pretty much a catastrophe," said Kansas rancher Greg Gardiner as he looked out on his charred land near Ashland, where he figures he's lost at least 500 cattle. "It's as bad as a mind can make it."

Winds are predicted to die down slightly on Wednesday, which may help the firefighting efforts. Chief of forecast operations at Norman, Oklahoma's Storm Prediction Center, Bill Bunting, says the area of greatest concern on Wednesday is central and western Oklahoma to western Missouri, WRAL.com reported. Nebraska and Iowa to the Texas Panhandle are also in danger of the wildfires.

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