Preliminary ranching costs for April's wildfires tops $26 million

Losses sustained by ranchers from April wildfires that burned through parts of Dewey and Woodward counties in west-central and northwest Oklahoma are estimated at more than $26 million, an agricultural marketing specialist stated Monday.

Derrell Peel, who works with Oklahoma State University's Cooperative Extension Service, also stressed that estimate will change as a more information is gathered.

"More than 348,000 acres burned, causing a wide variety of losses to livestock, pastures, hay, fences and facilities," Peel stated in a release.

His calculations were based upon preliminary losses of some 1,600 head of cattle and the fact the fires affected more than 2,100 miles of fencing surrounding ranchers' lands.

Peel also stated in a release that his calculations didn't include losses to vehicles, farming equipment, homes or other personal property.

And while he stated he didn't expect the fires' aftermath would significantly affect livestock prices for Oklahoma's ranchers this year, he did note those losses will bring long-lasting financial impacts to the ranchers who were involved.

Pam Livingston, a fourth-generation Dewey County rancher, agreed with Peel's observation.

While Livingston admitted ranchers are used to dealing with issues as they pursue their vocation, the devastation left behind by this year's fires "is a little bit more than just another day in the office."

Livingston said she and her husband, Greg, were fortunate because they didn't lose any cattle or homes or barns to the blazes. Neither did their children. However, Livingston said they lost half their pasture to the fire.

She said her parents lost some cattle, and that aunts, uncles, cousins and their children (making up 22 households) who also ranch in Dewey County were affected, too.

"We did have one cousin that lost a house, and the rest pretty much lost all their grass," Livingston said Monday. "But I've talked to several of my relatives, and they said, 'You know, we will just pick ourselves up and go on.'"

Livingston said her father expressed a similar attitude, telling her, "We have our house and we have our family, and that is the main, important thing."

Adaptive steps

Livingston said she and Greg moved their 140 cows and those animals' calves to about 640-plus acres they have that didn't burn, which includes a drought-impacted wheat field they turned the animals out to for grazing.

"We are hoping to get them to June 1 on that," she said. "Hopefully by then, we can get our fences back in. And the new grass is coming."

Fencing, Peel noted in his release, is the biggest operational cost ranchers face, so far, with estimated cost to replace or repair the 2,100 miles of fencing at $16.4 million.

While T-posts can be used to help rebuild the fencing, Livingston said soil conservation experts require ranchers to put in either creosote wood posts or capped, painted steel pipes at regular intervals to keep the fencing stable.

Other calculated costs Peel reported in his release include:

• $1.4 million to replace livestock lost in the fire, including veterinary costs and reduced value of surviving injured animals.

• $6.3 million to replace or repair burned barns, other facilities and corrals.

• $1.6 million for emergency feed needed to support surviving livestock.

• $660,000 for burned pastures and hay reserves.

Livingston and her husband bring several insights to the challenges ranchers will face, going forward.

Besides being ranchers, Pam sells insurance many ranchers use to protect their investments through American Farmers & Ranchers.

Greg, meanwhile, works as an executive vice president with Farm Credit of Western Oklahoma, a bonds-backed loan cooperative frequently used by farmers and ranchers to finance their operations.

Pam said one issue she's thinking about that hasn't gotten much attention yet is the situation farmers who lost equipment they've already depreciated for tax purposes will face when they receive insurance payments to replace that gear.

"That will be a tax gain for them."

But she said that won't stop them from striving to recover.

"People here have a lot of inner strength that gets them through because they have been through some hard times," she said. "You see it happening, but you know there is a tomorrow."

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