Campaign focuses on wildland fire preparedness

With fall in full swing and vegetation finally becoming dormant, the Oklahoma City Fire Department is warning the public about the dangers of impending wildland fires.

“Oklahoma City is at great risk for wildland fires due to our geography and topography,” Oklahoma City Fire Department Major Joe Johns said. “Due to a wetter-than-usual summer, our vegetation became very thick. We are approaching a time of vegetative dormancy, and the available fuel is plentiful.”

Explaining the term “Wildland-Urban Interface,” Johns said Oklahoma City has numerous areas where development meets natural vegetation.

“The wildland-urban interface is a particularly vulnerable area. This is an area where wind-driven embers from a wildfire can threaten lives and property.”

In an effort to keep the community safe and informed, the Oklahoma City Fire Department has scheduled a series of community engagement meetings to share potentially lifesaving information with residents.

Included in the meetings will be information about the impact of wildland fires, what homeowners can do to create a “defensible space,” the importance of having a plan before a fire occurs, preparing for evacuations, and much more. Attendees will have time to ask questions and share concerns as they learn how to prepare for wildland fires.

Meetings

All meetings are at 6 p.m. at these dates and locations:

Thursday: Fire Station 18 at 4116 N Prospect Ave. Sept. 28: Fire Station 30 at 4343 S Lake Hefner Drive

Oct. 5: Fire Station 27 at 6400 N Westminster

Road

Oct. 12: Fire Station 28 at 7101 S Anderson Road Oct. 19: Fire Station 32 at 12233 N Mustang Road Oct. 26: Fire Station 35 at 13017 S May Ave.

Nov. 2: Fire Station 33 at 11630 SW 15