Firefighters Needed As Oklahoma Spring Fire Season In Full Swing

The Oklahoma Forestry Service said they're seeing more fires in Eastern Oklahoma right now than any other area across the state.

High winds and drier air are making conditions perfect for fires to spread across the state. Volunteer firefighters are also needed now more than ever as spring fire season ramps up.

“We're not far from Tulsa, but when you have to call a Tulsa fire truck to our district, that's a long time," said Black Dog Fire Chief Paul Reeves.

Paul Reeves has been serving as the Black Dog Fire Chief for 21 years. Reeves currently has 12 volunteer firefighters on staff. He can have up to 25 firefighters but said the most he’s ever had is 18.

They cover 30 square miles of space just Northwest of Tulsa in Osage County. 

You must be 18 to join, live within 10 miles of the station, and be willing to attend classes each week to learn how to fight fires. 

“You can't just say ‘I want to be a firefighter’ and get a blue shirt and then you're a firefighter,” said Reeves. “You have to go through the motion. We know as much as Tulsa does, it just takes us longer to get through the information.”

Reeves said they usually have a class one day each week, but people need to be ready to take the call when it comes.

State Forester and Director of Oklahoma Forestry Services Mark Goeller said a lot of people are eager to burn brush piles after the snow and ice storms we saw this winter.

He said the area saw great conditions to burn Sunday, but Monday is a much different story.

"The problem is a lot of folks don't typically look at what the day after their burn is going to look like and so a number of the fires we've had today, especially across eastern Oklahoma, have come from escaped debris burns,” said Goeller.

Goeller said it's important to keep your grass mowed and to keep fuel like firewood and dead leaves away from your home.

“30 feet is kind of the minimum that we look for because that gives firefighters room to work. Anything they can go beyond that just increases the survivability of the home,” said Goeller.

Goeller said so far, it's been a normal year in regard to the number of fires they've seen so far, but forecasters are predicting a more intense summer fire season.

If you are interested in volunteering with Black Dog Fire Department, you can call the station at 918-425-3200.