Hay, Supply Drive Set Up To Help Mooreland Ranchers After Wildfire

Thousands of acres burned in the recent wildfire in Mooreland, Oklahoma, leaving nothing but charred remains for the grass-fed cattle raised here.

Ranchers say the drought had already put a strain on feeding their cattle and with hay already in short supply, the need is great.

“It’s tough living out here,” said rancher Matt Tune. “It’s either real cold or real hot and on fire.”

Those conditions are a harsh reality for ranchers in western Oklahoma.

Related Story: More Than 19,000 Acres Burned In Mooreland Fire

“It seems like it’s about every other year process,” he said about dealing with wildfires.

Matt and his wife Raegan live on a farm in Mooreland, where 21,000 acres burned this week.

“It burned within about a mile, mile and a half from our house,” Matt said. “It burned right up to the fence of some of our land.”

The Tune’s home and livestock were spared, so they helped save more than 100 head of cattle from nearby ranches.

“It was just pure chaos,” said Raegan Tune. “We spent that whole day just gathering cattle.”

Many ranchers are still in the process of locating their cattle that ran from the flames. Once they do, they face another problem, feeding them.

“It’s been pretty dry out in this part of the world, hay is hard to get,” he said. “If you can find it, you’re going to pay well for it.

Ashes to Ashes, a group on Facebook, is organizing a hay donation drive to help. They say about 15 to 20 loads of hay would be a good start. However, ranchers also foresee another need of replacing the fences destroyed in the fire.

“There’s a lot of people that don’t really like to ask for help but they could use some help fixing fences, clearing fence rows, getting ready to build a new fence and locating livestock,” Matt said.

The Tunes are already seeing that help from their neighbors.

“The people that support you and support others, it takes a village for sure and it’s a good one here in Mooreland,” Raegan said.

Hay donations will be accepted at the Mooreland Airport, but you must first make arrangements for a drop off by calling (580) 334-0131. Ashes to Ashes is also taking monetary donations to help with fuel costs to pick up donations. Monetary donations can be sent to Ashes to Ashes in care of Security State Bank, P.O. Box 1127, Laverne, OK 73848. Arrangements for a drop location for fencing supplies is still being worked out and will be announced soon.