The oil and gas community has pitched in over the past few weeks in helping residents deal with the deadly and devastating wildfires in northwest Oklahoma.
“The last three days our little county has been literally burning to the ground and while people were losing a lifetime of hard work and livelihood, the oilfield stepped up for us, Margie Whetstone, a resident of Dewey County said.
Water trucks, drinks and snacks were just some of the ways Oklahoma’s oil men and women rendered aid during such a difficult time, according to Whetstone.
“They were helping people try and save their homes and land,” she said. “Firefighters were out there busting their tails, doing all they could to stop this horrible monster, but they also had friends in oiles out there lending their help however they could.”
OKOGA member company FourPoint Energy has operations that span Western Oklahoma and the Texas Panhandle. They are supporting the many volunteer fire departments with several donations totaling $34,000 that put forth resources to battle the flames on the front lines, and they encouraged other community members to join them.
According to Jenna Samek, Director of Corporate Communications, “not only do we have several employees who serve as volunteer fire fighters throughout the region, but we know from the horrific fires that hit the Texas Panhandle last year that many of these communities solely rely on the assistance of these volunteer-based departments. With the aggressive nature of these fires and the heavy demand on equipment, several departments will need to replace or make extensive repairs to their trucks, pumps, and other critical equipment. Our company will be doing our best to support the departments who have had the greatest impact fighting the fires in and around our operating regions, where our 200-plus dedicated employees live and work.”
Oklahoma Oil and Gas Association President Chad Warmington said this sort of brave and selfless action is what he has come to expect from those in the industry.
“It’s not just about oil and natural gas. These companies and their employees are uniquely situated and equipped to deal with tragedies like what we have seen this week in western Oklahoma,” he said. “Many helping these communities are community member’s themselves. They live in these towns and want to provide aid to their friends and neighbors.”