The fire chiefs of Lincoln County have signed and sent a letter to Gov. Kevin Stitt, voicing their opposition to the removal of Oklahoma Forestry Director Mark Goeller and urging the governor to reconsider the decision and provide clear reasons why he is on this path.
The letter was signed by 13 fire chiefs in the county, including Wellston Fire Chief Todd Beasley, Stroud Fire Chief Chris Wilson, and others. Bees-ley said the letter had been sent to the governor’s office as well as the Oklahoma House of Representatives.
The letter said that with 40 years of experience in forestry and wildlife management, Goeller has played an instrumental role in safeguarding Oklahoma’s natural resources and protecting communities from the increasing threat of wildfires.
It went on to add that his leadership has been vital in coordinating wildfire response efforts and building collaboration among local fire departments.
“His remove is a significant loss to our state’s forestry and emergency response capabilities,” the letter said.
“Furthermore, we feel that your decision and your comments at your press briefing reflect poorly on the fire service as a whole, including the 80 percent of firefighters who are volunteers.
“Some of these dedicated individuals lost their homes and property while bravely battling the historic and unprecedented March 2025 wildfire outbreak.”
Stroud Fire Chief Chris Wilson said he felt, like everyone else, that the decision was abrupt and irrational, without having the facts ahead of time.
“He talks about this big inflated budget number that’s not accurate. And every contact that I had with the forestry department was more than willing to help with anything we needed,” he said.
In terms of assets on the ground during the March fires, Wilson said the winds were too high to get helicopters or fixed wings up in the air.
While he agreed that the governor needs the report on what wasn’t being used, he had a hard time believing that equipment that could have been used wasn t.
“It wouldn’t have mattered if they’d had twice the equipment that they did. It wouldn’t have mattered, you know? I mean, there was just too much going on,” he said.
Wilson added that while he hasn’t worked with Goeller directly, he has worked with others under him, which he called “solid,” saying they’ve been good at getting back to him and taking care of his department’s needs.
“I don’t have nothing negative to say about them,” he said.