The Blaine County Farm Bureau recently donated $500 to fire departments in the area to help with Oklahoma’s fight against the ongoing drought.
All 77 counties in the state are facing varying levels of drought, increasing the chances for wildfires to spark and calling local fire departments into action. “Oklahoma farmers and ranchers – many of whom are volunteer firefighters themselves –understand the importance of rural fire departments during an intense drought,” said David VonTungeln, president of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture.
“We hope the funds donated will provide some relief to our local firefighters in the form of food, water or supplies.”
The donation was made as part of the Oklahoma Farm Bureau Foundation for Agriculture’s Fire Department Matching Program. The program – a collaboration between OKFB, the OKFB Foundation for Agriculture and OKFB Insurance – matched donations made by county Farm Bureaus to local fire departments up to $450.
To learn more about drought conditions in Oklahoma, visit okfb.news/DroughtMap. The Oklahoma Farm Bureau Fire Department Matching Program donated a total of $61,300 to rural fire departments around the state of Oklahoma.
Forty-seven county Farm Bureaus participated in the program, donating varying amounts to their local fire departments. Blaine County Farm Bureau donated funds to ensure each department in the county received $500.