The 2023 Oklahoma wildfire outbreak: a case study in meteorological conditions, wildfire hazard, and community resilience

• Published in: Natural hazards (Dordrecht) 2025-01, Vol.121 (1), p.201-224
• Main Authors: Campos, Richard, Puxley, Bryony L., Long, Michael A., Harvey, P. S.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Case studies; Churches; Civil Engineering; Collaboration; Disaster management; Earth and Environmental Science; Earth Sciences; Electric power; Emergency communications systems; Emergency preparedness; Emergency response; Environmental Management; Environmental risk; Fire control; Fire damage; Fire hazards; Forest & brush fires; Geophysics/Geodesy; Geotechnical Engineering & Applied Earth Sciences; Hazard assessment; Hydrogeology; Infrastructure; Meteorological conditions; Mitigation; Natural Hazards; Original Paper; Outbreaks; Perceptions; Resilience; Risk perception; Risk reduction; Roads & highways; Social resilience; Wildfires; Wind effects; Winds
• ISSN: 0921-030X; 1573-0840
• DOI: 10.1007/s11069-024-06824-6

The wildfire outbreak that occurred in Oklahoma on March 31, 2023, impacted structures and transportation infrastructure, posed significant challenges to emergency response, and tested the community's resilience. Extensive structural damage, including the destruction of numerous homes and electrical power poles, shows the need for improved wildfire mitigation strategies. The significant impact of the resulting smoke from the wildfire outbreak was highlighted by road closures, which disrupted transportation and school operations. Crucial firefighting operations, led by multiple fire departments and assisted by federal agencies, played a pivotal role in containing the fires. Additionally, community resilience was evident through evacuations and sheltering efforts, with churches and organizations providing refuge. Further, widespread electrical outages, caused by damaged infrastructure due to high winds, presented additional challenges. This study examines the multifaceted effects of the wildfire outbreak by recounting and analyzing the sequence of events. Further, a meteorological and wildfire hazard assessment, using historical data, was performed to provide insights for risk mitigation. Wildfire hazard maps for the state of Oklahoma were utilized to enhance emergency response and mitigation strategies for wildfires. An examination of wildfire risk perceptions among Oklahomans, both before and after the wildfire outbreak, reveal that the degree of personal connection to or remoteness from the wildfire event has a significant impact on how they perceive the wildfire risk. This study presents lessons and recommendations to enhance wildfire resilience. The findings contribute to a better understanding of the multifaceted impact of wildfire outbreaks to enhance community resilience and disaster response to wildfires.