STILLWATER, Okla. – In February 2024, wildfires in western Oklahoma, fueled by hot and dry conditions and high winds, destroyed at least 18 homes, 1,180 head of cattle, 75,000 bales of hay and 431 miles of fence.“OSU Extension has seen some immediate resource gaps, knowledge gaps and training needed to better support our staff, ranchers and communities affected by this disaster,” said Amy Hagerman, OSU Extension specialist for agriculture and food policy. “We are assuring our OSU Extension educators have the training, tools and support they need for the recovery. We will make OSU Extension and Oklahoma communities more prepared for future wildfire disasters.”Through a National Institute of Food and Agriculture grant, OSU Extension is developing a tool for measuring the full extent of damages from the February fire. Extension educators and specialists are creating damage categories through interviews with wildfire victims and comparing the categories to those in the existing Ag Damage Assessment and Economic Loss tool. Faculty have produced new OSU Extension fact sheets and videos for ranchers affected by the fires, especially native Spanish speakers or those who are new to ranching. Through surveys, Hagerman and her team will also assess the readiness of Extension offices and OSU Ag Research stations to coordinate damage mitigation from natural disasters.“The end goal is to help farmers and ranchers, community members and local economies bounce back stronger after wildfires by improving how we communicate during a recovery, working better with our partners, reducing stress for those affected by the wildfires and making sure all affected groups feel supported within their communities,” Hagerman said.To build OSU Extension’s response capacity, we will work with our Disaster and Emergency Preparedness Advisory Board to identify Extension educators in the western district who are well-suited to serve as Disaster Assistance Response Team members.”The DART members will receive training in disaster response and large animal handling. OSU Extension will then develop a statewide version of these training sessions for county Extension directors and educators.To learn more about disaster assistance in OSU Extension, contact Hagerman at amy. hagerman@okstate.edu.
