OKLAHOMA CITY — Inconceivable, baffling and outrageous are all words Attorney General Gentner Drummond used to describe Governor Kevin Stitt’s firing of seasoned Director of Forestry, Mark Goeller.
Stitt was not immediately transparent about this termination—it made news headlines after 2 News asked him about the decision during Wednesday’s news conference.
“Worst decision!” wrote the Jay Fire Department on Facebook.
“An absolute travesty!” wrote the Veterans Colony Assistant Chief on Facebook.
Olive Fire Department Chief Jason Dobson said he was shocked and angry—for Goeller and fire crews—when he heard Stitt’s comment.
“He’s the head of forestry and we had a horrible wildfire and didn’t think they did a very good job,” Stitt said during the Wednesday news conference.
“It’s a slap in the face to the entire fire service because we work hand in hand with forestry services,” said Dobbs. “What did we do that wasn’t good enough for the governor?”
Local News
Gov. Stitt blames State Forester's firing on response to wildfires
Dobson worked for 10 days alongside Goeller during the 2012 Creek County wildfires. Highly respected in his field since 1980, Goeller testified on Capitol Hill about Oklahoma’s advanced response to wildfires.
Many are pointing out that Stitt fired Goeller after returning from Spring Break.
“He didn’t have to face these citizens and have them hug you and cry with them,” he said. “He didn’t have to deal with that.”
Governor Stitt elaborated Friday on the reason behind the termination, stating:
Oklahoma just faced the worst wildfire in our state’s history. Over 515 families lost their homes. When lives are on the line, every resource must be deployed without hesitation. It became clear that didn’t happen. At the forestry director’s direction, firefighting resources were delayed, unused, or even called back during critical moments. That’s unacceptable. For this reason, he has been relieved of duty. We are committed to rebuilding stronger and that starts with rebuilding trust in the agencies that are meant to protect us.
Other than this statement, 2 News is unaware of unused or delayed resources, but have reached out to Oklahoma Forestry Services.
Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond’s full statement:
“It should be inconceivable to think that the courage, skill and herculean work of firefighters across the state would be rewarded with the sudden and inexplicable ouster of Director Goeller,” Drummond said. “Honestly, the Governor’s action is baffling. While the wildfires that swept through our state this month exacted a heavy toll, the death and devastation would have been far, far worse without the strong coordinated effort of firefighters and Oklahoma Forestry Services.
“Director Goeller is a seasoned professional who is highly regarded in his field. He – and all those who battled the fires – have earned the gratitude and respect of Oklahomans. It is outrageous that the Governor’s response to their bravery would be to push out the director mere weeks after that deadly firestorm.”
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