Officials with OK-FIRE, a part of Oklahoma State University Extension and the Oklahoma Mesonet, are gearing up for a series of free workshops to help federal and state agencies, fire departments, public safety officials, emergency managers and private landowners learn more about the fire weather, fire danger and smoke dispersion products available on the OK-FIRE website.

Monica Mattox, OK-FIRE program coordinator, assistant state climatologist and research scientist with the Oklahoma Mesonet Climatological Survey, will lead the workshops, along with other industry professionals who will share their expertise. Three of the workshops will be in person, and one will take place virtually. In-person workshops include lunch. Upcoming free workshops include:

• Oct. 15: Guymon, Texas County Emergency Management, 2906 Tumbleweed Dr. Registration is due by Oct. 8.
• Nov. 3: Durant, Durant Regional Operations Center, 5861 Cessna Dr. Registration is due by Oct. 27.
• Feb. 10, 2027: Virtual, Zoom link will be sent via email on February 8. Registration is due by Feb. 4.
• Feb. 25, 2027: Mustang, Mustang Fire Station No. 1, 465 W.  State Hwy 152. Registration is due by Feb. 18.

“The workshops will include a combination of classroom and hands-on learning opportunities that include presentations, case studies and interactive lab exercises,” Mattox said. “We’ll talk about the OK-FIRE website, components of fire danger, forecast and monitoring products, real-life emergency management scenarios and prescribed burning.”

The workshop participants will also discuss how OK-FIRE is useful not only for monitoring current fire danger conditions but also for using its predictive component to inform suppression strategies for existing fires and to assess fire danger potential.

Workshops are limited to 35 participants, and early registration is encouraged. For more information, contact Mattox at 405-325-1788 or okfire@mesonet.org.

Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communications, program information or reasonable accommodations need to contact the OK-FIRE staff no later than one week before the workshop.