The US cattle herd is sitting at a 75-year low with no recovery yet in sight. Relief for strained cattle supplies and resulting record-high beef prices looks even further out of reach following devastating fires that have swept across key cattle regions in Oklahoma and Kansas. Pastures are reportedly burned down to “sand,” and producers are scrambling to find feed. The fallout may linger, too, as grazing land could take longer than usual to recover due to the intense heat from the wildfires.
The biggest in a string of wildfires on the US Plains in February is the “Ranger Road” fire. This one started in Beaver County, Oklahoma, before crossing the state line into Kansas. The fire is mostly contained now, but over +285,000 acres have burned. Combined with other fires in the region, more than +300,000 acres have been consumed in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Ranchers in the path of the Ranger Road blaze and other fires this year have lost hundreds of cattle, though there is not yet an official estimate. At least one rancher is said to have lost 400 head. Scores of other animals sustained injuries, some of which need to be euthanized.
To save as many animals as possible, ranchers were forced to cut fences, while miles and miles of fencing were also lost in the fire. That’s an obvious nightmare for ranchers just trying to keep their animals together. That’s not to mention fence lines establishing property lines, or separating cattle for grazing rotations. Demand for fencing is expected to surge for months, with thousands of miles needing to be replaced.
The wildfires have also decimated pastureland. One firefighter for the Laverne Fire Department in Oklahoma, who responded to the Ranger Road fire, described the land left behind: “It’s sand. Take a sand pit and cover that over 285,000 acres.”
Needless to say, ranchers are struggling to feed the cattle that did survive. Donations are pouring in but it may be a long road to recovery. Michael Kelsey, executive vice president of the Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association, says it may take longer than normal for those pastures to recover, depending on the damage from intense heat.
The devastation across this key part of the Plains cattle industry is not fully known yet. That means it’s too soon to know how beef prices might be impacted. There is concern that wildfires could continue to break out amid ongoing drought conditions and cause even more losses. Large portions of Oklahoma and Texas are experiencing “severe drought” to “extreme drought”, while conditions in most of Southern Kansas is “abnormally dry” to “moderate drought,” according to the US Drought Monitor.
Several organizations are working to offer relief for producers who were caught up in the recent fires in Kansas and Oklahoma. If you want to donate or are in need of assistance yourself, check out the following:
Oklahoma Cattlemen’s Association Foundation has established a Fire Relief Fund to support cattle producers impacted by the recent wildfires in Northwest Oklahoma. Find more information and donate at okcattlemen.org.
Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture is also collecting donations to help recovery efforts for rural Oklahomans affected by the wildfires. Find more information and donate at okfarmbureau.org
Beaver County OK Conservation District is coordinating donations of hay for wildfire relief. Hay can be dropped off at the Hamilton Farm, west of Knowles, OK on Highway 64. Laverne Fire Department is accepting donations of non-perishables food, feed, hay, fencing, and monetary donations and is in contact with volunteer fire departments throughout the area.
Kansas Livestock Association is accepting donations through the Kansas Livestock Foundation (KLF), KLA’s charitable arm, by Clicking HERE or sending a check, with “wildfire relief” written in the memo line, to 6031 S.W. 37th, Topeka, KS 66614. KLF is a 501 c(3) organization. Donations to the foundation are tax-deductible. (Sources: Drovers, The Fence Post, The Journal Record)
