The Wildfire Response Working Group, established by Governor Kevin Stitt following the wildfires in March that led to his termination of State Forester Mark Goeller, delivered a preliminary report outlining “critical failures and urgent areas for improvement” in the state’s wildfire response.

Led by Secretary of Public Safety Tricia Everest and Secretary of Agriculture Blayne Arthur, the Working Group was tasked with conducting a full after-action review of the March 14 wildfire outbreak and evaluating Oklahoma’s preparedness, coordination, and response mechanisms.

“Wildfires will come; we can’t always stop that. But we can control how we respond,” Stitt said in a news release. “Unfortunately, this report proves what too many on the ground already knew: resources weren’t used effectively, and the response from the Forestry Department fell short. Our firefighters were risking their lives without the backup they needed. That’s unacceptable.”

The report highlights three priorities: 1. State and local coordination.

2. Wildfire mitigation and community resilience.

3. First responder recruitment, retention, and training.

Key concerns raised in the report include:

• Fragmented communication between agencies during active fire incidents.

• A lack of radio interoperability across jurisdictions.

• Delays in resource deployment to areas of greatest need.

• Severe staffing shortages among rural volunteer firefighters.

• Insufficient planning and coordination for high fire-risk conditions.

Operational reform recommendations include eliminating outdated Protection Area designations, implementing a statewide Computer-Aided Dispatch (CAD) system, and enhancing proactive wildfire prevention strategies such as prescribed burns and community preparedness. The Working Group has established focused subcommittees to develop detailed recommendations and policy proposals. These will be presented to the Governor and Legislature in the coming months.