TULSA, Okla. — Nearly a month after Oklahoma's devastating March wildfire outbreak, 2 News continues to work to bring you answers about the firestorm from state government.
Local News
TIMELINE: 2 News investigation into March 14 wildfires, Governor's response
On April 10, 2 News spent the day requesting interviews either in person or by Zoom with the governor and the head or current acting head of Oklahoma's Department of Forestry—interviews we've been seeking since April 3.
The governor's press office responded:
Your request for an exclusive interview is denied.
While 2 News' Erin Christy and Brodie Myers did get partial answers on April 9 to few questions in group interview settings, they were passed over or cut off from follow-up questions.
The information we're seeking includes not just a chance to sit down with the governor and the Department of Forestry to clarify how the fires were managed but also:
- The names of the governor's new working group tasked with strengthening statewide preparedness, mitigation, and recovery from wildfires. (The governor's office told us it hasn't made any announcements about that yet, but more will come later.)
- Copies of communications between Oklahoma's Office of Emergency Management and county emergency managers during the wildfires.
- What county emergency managers requested of the state Office of Emergency Management to help with firefighting during the March fires.
2 News is seeking this information to gain clarity on the governor's comments and find out if there was mismanagement in the response to the wildfires.
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