Rodeo Daily

State of Emergency Declared: OSU Equestrian Team Forced to Evacuate Due to Wildfire

A fast-moving wildfire has prompted the immediate evacuation of the OSU Equestrian team, disrupting all operations and leading to an Oklahoma state of emergency.
Madison Richmann|
A resident talks with an Oklahoma County Sheriff's deputy near during a wildfire Triple X Road and Coffee Creek in Luther, Okla., Friday, March 14, 2025.
A resident talks with an Oklahoma County Sheriff's deputy near during a wildfire Triple X Road and Coffee Creek in Luther, Okla., Friday, March 14, 2025. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

A rapid wildfire has forced the OSU Equestrian team to be evacuated. With more than 130 wildfires across 44 counties in Oklahoma, a state of emergency was declared on Friday, March 14. The high winds have left many of the fires dangerously active even into Saturday night.

An article on KOCO reported that winds are expected to be sustained at 25 to 35 mph with gusts reaching 50 mph throughout Monday and even into Tuesday.

Oklahoma's Governor Stitt has reported that more than 170,000 acres have burned across the state. Oklahoma Emergency Services officials have now added that they have received reports that at least 200 homes have been lost.

As things got more serious, the Equestrian Team for Oklahoma State University took to social media, urgently seeking help to evacuate their horses from their facility. With the flames only getting closer, the local community quickly responded. The coach later thanked everyone stating that the horses had all been evacuated and were safe.

All Oklahoma State operations were also affected. Amid the fire chaos, baseball, softball, and tennis games were quickly canceled. Students were reassured that the campus itself was safe and that evacuation precautions would be taken if necessary. Some surrounding areas did have mandatory evacuation orders in place, however.

The fire's devastating impact extended across Stillwater. In just the Stillwater area, over 50 homes have been destroyed so far. The Oklahoma Forestry Service reported that more than 3,000 acres around Stillwater had been burned by 9 a.m. Saturday, March 16th.

The OSU Equestrian Team is a highly accomplished program of the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA). The team is supported by a state-of-the-art facility and great coaches who have taken OSU Equestrian to the next level in recent years. They are very thankful to the community who came together to help them out in a dire emergency.

For anyone who has been evacuated and needs assistance, Oklahoma Emergency Management Officials have listed the following sites in the Stillwater area:

  • Stillwater Community Center, 315 W 8th Ave, Stillwater
  • Stillwater Senior Activity Center, 1015 E 12th Ave, Stillwater
  • Stillwater Church of Christ, 821 N Duck St, Stillwater
  • Stillwater High School, 1224 N. Husband St, Stillwater
  • Payne County Fair Grounds, 4518 Expo Circle East, Stillwater
  • Sunnybrook Christian Church, 421 E. Richmond Rd, Stillwater

Recommended Articles

Published
Madison Richmann
MADISON RICHMANN

Madison Richmann calls Keenesburg, Colorado home. There you can find her parents, Justin and Shawnda, and her younger brother Rylan. Currently, she is living in Oklahoma while attending Western Oklahoma State College on a rodeo scholarship, and studying agriculture communications, where she will graduate this spring. Madie plans to continue her education and rodeo career when transferring to a university in the fall to work towards her bachelor's degree. As a breakaway roper, Madison is excited for all of the new opportunities that are continually arising for women in the sport of rodeo. Also a barrel racer and team roper, Richmann is very passionate for all things of the western way of life. As an advocate for agriculture, she plans to help educate all, about the importance of the industry. When looking into the future, Madie plans to make a career in journalism and marketing for the western sports and agriculture industries while continuing her rodeo career professionally.

Home/News