What to know about the Oklahoma wildfires and how you can help

Good morning, Oklahoma! Be sure to count your blessings extra closely this Sunday.

On Friday, wildfires caused tens of millions of dollars in damage or more across Oklahoma as a wind storm and dry conditions created a tragically ‘perfect storm’ across the state.

This special Sunday edition of Oklahoma Memo will update you on what happened, what you need to know, how you can help those impacted by the wildfires, and what you can expect this week as extreme fire danger returns to the state.

Fire Weather Update 💨🔥

This special weather update is for Tuesday, March 18, when the fire danger across Oklahoma is again expected to be extreme.

🌡️ Tuesday high in OKC 83°
🌡️ Tuesday high in Tulsa 79°

If you have weather photos you’d like to share with ‘Oklahoma Memo,’ email them to [email protected]! Add a caption and some context, and we’ll add them to our newsletter.

1️⃣ 🚨 Fires ravage Oklahoma leading to disaster declaration in 12 counties, hundreds of homes lost 

By Robby Korth, Anna Pope, Logan Layden, Graycen Wheeler, Lionel Ramos, Abigail Siatkowski, KOSU
Click here to read the full story.

Dozens of fires raged across Oklahoma Friday afternoon, fueled by high winds and dry conditions.

By Saturday morning, things were calmer but Oklahomans were left picking up the pieces across 170,000 acres of scorched earth. Gov. Kevin Stitt said one person was killed in a car crash after driving into smoke while disaster officials said an estimated 293 structures were destroyed.

More than 50 houses were lost in Stillwater, the small Northeast Oklahoma town of Mannford was hit hard and popup fires devastated communities everywhere.

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🚨 State of emergency declared in Oklahoma

Governor Kevin Stitt declared a State of Emergency for 12 counties on Saturday due to wildfires that impacted Oklahoma on Friday. The emergency order allows state agencies to expedite resources and is the first step toward potential federal assistance.

Counties Under Emergency Declaration:

• Cleveland, Creek, Dewey, Grady, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee, Payne, Pottawatomie, Roger Mills, Stephens

✅ FEMA Fire Management Assistance Grants Approved

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has granted 13 Fire Management Assistance Grants (FMAGs)to assist with firefighting costs.

Fires Covered by FEMA Grants:

• 840 Road Fire – Leedey, Roger Mills County

• Stillwater Fire – Stillwater, Payne County

• Luther Fire – Luther/Arcadia/Edmond, Oklahoma County

• East Thunderbird Fire – Little Axe/Norman, Cleveland County

• Little Salt Creek Fire – Mannford, Creek County

• Chandler Fire – Chandler, Lincoln County

• Logan County Fire – Guthrie, Logan County

• Wildhorse Fire – Velma, Stephens County

• Clear Pond Fire – Bethel Acres/Shawnee, Pottawatomie County

• Underwood Fire – Yale/Cushing, Payne County

• Keystone Fire – Osage, Pawnee County

• Barn Fire – Cleveland, Pawnee County

• Norge Fire – Chickasha, Grady County

According to state emergency management, FEMA will reimburse 75% of eligible firefighting costs, including equipment, labor, fuel, temporary repairs, and mobilization/demobilization expenses. Agencies should document all costs carefully.

Injuries reported

The Oklahoma State Department of Health confirms 112 wildfire-related injuries:

• Burns – 6

• Cuts/Piercings – 9

• Falls – 27

• Poisoning – 1

• Struck by object – 12

• Transportation-related – 19

• Other fire-related – 38

Mass care and shelters

Multiple organizations are providing food, shelter, and emergency supplies:

• Red Cross: Serving meals and assisting in Cleveland, Oklahoma, Logan, Payne, Stephens, Pottawatomie, and McClain counties.

• Salvation Army: Deploying feeding units to Stillwater, Mannford, and Pawnee (1,200 meals/day starting March 16).

• Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief: Providing meals in Stillwater, Pawnee, and Leedey.

🏠 Shelters Available

Day & Overnight Shelters:
📍 1st Methodist Church of Mannford, Mannford (Overnight)
📍 Grand Casino, Shawnee (Overnight)
📍 Hands of Hope Food and Resource Center, Durant (Overnight)
📍 Luther Community Center, Luther (Overnight)
📍 Payne County Fairgrounds, Stillwater (Overnight)
📍 Pryor Impact Center, Pryor (Overnight)
📍 Sunnybrook Christian Church, Stillwater (Overnight)

Day Shelters:
📍 Ada Comfort Shelter, Ada
📍 Case Community Center, Sand Springs
📍 Charter Oak Elementary, Guthrie
📍 Community Church, Guthrie
📍 CrossPointe Church Norman, Norman
📍 Elk City First Baptist Church, Elk City
📍 Hugo-Compassion of Christ Ministries, Hugo
📍 Life Church Shawnee, Shawnee
📍 Lincoln County Fairgrounds, Chandler
📍 Stillwater High School, Stillwater
📍 Stillwater Community Center, Stillwater
📍 Stillwater Senior Activity Center, Stillwater
📍 Stephens County Fairgrounds, Duncan
📍 Vici Community Center, Vici
📍 West Siloam Assembly of God, Colcord

🚨 Price gouging law in effect

The Emergency Price Stabilization Act is now active in the 12 counties under emergency declaration.

⚠️ Businesses cannot raise prices by more than 10% on essential goods and services.

☎️ Need help? Dial 2-1-1

For non-emergency disaster relief, call 2-1-1 (available 24/7).
📞 For emergencies, dial 9-1-1.

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2️⃣ How to help those who have been impacted by wildfires in Oklahoma

There are some usual modes of assistance for people impacted by the Oklahoma wildfires — the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army, and even AARP published a guide with some resources.

However, GoFundMe is filled with opportunities to give. The best way to navigate through their site is to search for different phrases related to the fire. For example:

• GoFundMe accounts for those impacted by Oklahoma wildfires

• GoFundMe accounts for those impacted by Stillwater wildfires

• GoFundMe accounts for those impacted by Mannford wildfires

If none of those opportunities move you, maybe this one will…

One of my best friends on the planet, the man who also officiated my wedding, lost everything he owned in the Stillwater wildfire on Friday. He, his wife Jonene, and the entire Cook family have been part of my life since the mid-1980s.

Like everybody else impacted by these wildfires, they’re certainly still processing the fact that it even happened. But you can tell by just how much has been donated so far how much they’re beloved in the community.

Here’s the link:
Support the Cook Family's Recovery Journey After Fire Loss

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3️⃣ Coverage of Oklahoma wildfires from around the state

• More than 50 homes lost in Stillwater-area fires (Stillwater News Press)

• ‘I Never Saw That Coming’: Stillwater residents return to wildfire devastation (News On 6)

• Map Shows Impacted Counties as Over 130 Fires Blaze Across Oklahoma (Newsweek)

• 'That's Stillwater': Local agencies provide aid, donations pour in (Stillwater News Press)

• Wildfires around Payne County burn more than 3,000 acres (Stillwater News Press)

• Norman picks up after fire, Little Axe firefighter critical (Stillwater News Press)

Stillwater News Press usually has a paywall, but these wildfire stories appear to be ungated for now. Big hat-tip to the Stillwater newspaper for stepping up in a time of crisis.

• Gov. Stitt surveys his home, destroyed by wildfire (KOCO)

• Oklahoma family picking up the pieces after wildfire destroys home (KOCO)

• Luther fires: “It was a scene straight out of a nightmare” (The Luther Register)

• Photos: Wildfires leave behind destruction in Mannford (Tulsa World, paywall)

• Mannford resident faces rebuilding journey after losing home to devastating wildfire (KTUL)

• New drone footage shows devastation of Mannford Wildfires (Sapulpa Times)

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