Gov. Kevin Stitt on Monday doubled down on his criticism of the state’s Forestry Service, accusing the agency of not using “every resource at their disposal to save lives and property” during historic wildfires last month.
The Republican also reiterated a controversial call to consider abolishing the agency that is tasked with preserving the state’s forest and is responsible for wildland fire detection.
“Unfortunately, I learned that the Oklahoma Forestry Services, the agency tasked with preventing and suppressing wildfires, did not use every resource at their disposal to save lives and property,” Stitt said in a statement. “They neglected their duties and left local fire departments begging for further resources to fight fires. This is simply unacceptable.”
Stitt said only “half” of the Forestry Service’s resources were deployed during the state’s worst wildfire outbreak, which he described as “the perfect storm of high winds, low humidity and drought conditions.”
Nearly 158 wildfires swept across the state beginning March 14, killing four and destroying more than 500 homes, including a ranch Stitt owned.
Stitt said Monday that he asked Mark Goeller, the head of the Forestry Service, to “step down” so there could be “a fresh set of eyes” and so the state could “take decisive steps to prevent a tragedy like this from happening in the future.”
Goeller has denied wrongdoing.
“The Agency to which I dedicated over 40 years of my life was said to have performed poorly,” Goeller wrote March 30 on social media. “Preparations were made well in advance, the public was notified of the impending fire danger, firefighting resources were ordered and in place.
“Nothing was held back as the events of the 14th and following days unfolded.”
Stitt last week first suggested abolishing the Forestry Service and providing funds directly to local fire departments, a plan that was swiftly panned by lawmakers on both sides of the aisle.
Several high-ranking lawmakers were highly critical of the suggestion. Many have voiced support for Goeller.
Stitt said he has asked his secretaries of agriculture and public safety, Blayne Arthur and Tricia Everest, respectively, to “assemble a report detailing where our response failed and what can be done to improve that response in the future.”
The report will be completed within a week, he said.
voic