Note: Feature photo is from a previous response.
WOODWARD—As a massive swath of wildfires spread across Northwest Oklahoma on Feb. 17, Matt Lehenbauer, director of emergency management for Woodward, issued an evacuation recommendation for the nearly 12,000 inhabitants who live in the area. The evacuation was voluntary since Oklahoma prohibits mandatory evacuations.
Oklahoma Baptist Disaster Relief (DR) leaders are communicating with local and state officials to see where help is needed. DR has been asked to help by providing food for the firefighters and all other first responders in the Beaver, Forgan, Hooker and Woodward areas.
Churches in the area have also been assisting with relief efforts. Beaver, First and Woodward, Lincoln Ave. are assisting in the relief efforts and Northwest Assembly in Vici has staged a shelter for those evacuating.
“We are grateful for local churches like Beaver, First and Woodward, Lincoln Avenue that are willing to make this happen,” said Oklahoma DR Director Jason Yarbrough in a social media post. “Please join us in praying for all those impacted, for those who continue to fight these fires and for our volunteers and churches as they minister during this time.”
Oklahoma DR’s response to the wildfires comes off the heels of responding to Winter Storm Fern in Louisiana. Currently, there are still chainsaw teams and feeding teams in Monroe, LA and Lake Providence, La. They are expected to travel home this weekend.
For more information about Oklahoma DR, visit okdisasterhelp.org. Financial donations to DR to assist Oklahoma Disaster Relief with all natural disaster recovery efforts can be made on the DR website.
