Choctaw Nation Forestry Program

10/21/2026

In celebration of National Fire Prevention Month, Smokey will be making several more visits to Head Start Programs and Schools throughout the Choctaw Nation before the end of October.

Smokey Bear is so excited to meet all the the wonderful kids in these communities and share his message of wildland fire prevention!

Smokey's Tour Schedule:

10/19 - McAlester Head Start
10/21 - Poteau Head Start
10/22 - Poteau School
10/23 – Hodgen School
10/27 – Halloween at Kiamichi Tech, Talihina
10/29 – Career Quest at Kiamichi Tech, Talihina

See less

10/21/2026

🖤 𝗛𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗙𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻 𝗕𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿: 𝗜𝗻 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝗪𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘆
It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of a beloved brother in the wildland fire community. 𝗪𝗲𝘀 𝗠𝗰𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘆, with the 𝗔𝗿𝗸𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗮𝘀 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻, unexpectedly ended his watch last night.

Wes was a longstanding and deeply respected member of the Southern Area Blue Incident Management Team. Over the years, many members of our own Choctaw Nation Forestry staff had the distinct honor and privilege of serving alongside him on the fireline.

Kyle Cunningham, Agriculture Division Director of the Arkansas Department of Agriculture Forestry Division, shared a statement that truly captures the impact Wes had on everyone around him:

"𝑾𝒆𝒔 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒉𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒚 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒎𝒆𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒅𝒇𝒊𝒓𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒖𝒏𝒊𝒕𝒚, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒂 𝒗𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒓𝒊𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒖𝒔 𝒂𝒍𝒍. 𝑾𝒆𝒔 𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒂 𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒖𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒂𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒎𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒐𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒓𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒂 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒓𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕𝒖𝒏𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒆𝒏𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒌 𝒂𝒍𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒎... 𝑶𝒏 𝒃𝒆𝒉𝒂𝒍𝒇 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑭𝒐𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒚 𝑫𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝑰 𝒆𝒙𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒚𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝑾𝒆𝒔’𝒔 𝒘𝒊𝒇𝒆 𝑲𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒂 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒐𝒏 𝑾𝒆𝒔𝒕𝒊𝒏... 𝑰 𝒌𝒏𝒐𝒘 𝑾𝒆𝒔’𝒔 𝒎𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒃𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒚𝒔 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒅."

The wildland firefighting community is a tight-knit family, and this loss is felt deeply across state lines. We extend our most profound condolences to Wes’s family, his friends, and our colleagues at the Arkansas Forestry Commission.

Please keep his wife Kayla, his son Westin, and all of his loved ones in your thoughts and prayers during this incredibly difficult time. Rest easy, brother. We will take it from here. 🌲🚒

10/16/2026

It is with profound sadness that we at Choctaw Nation Forestry receive news of Kaitlyn "KK" Gallagher's passing in the line of duty at the Broken Creek Fire in Rapides Parish on the U.S. Forest Service - Kisatchie National Forest. Few things are as joyful, fulfilling, and hopeful as watching a young colleague and friend grow into a promising career of service, and it is equally tragic in measure to see them leave us prematurely. We offer our sincerest prayers and condolences to the Gallagher family, and to KK's many co-workers and friends on the Kistachie National Forest.

It is with very heavy hearts that we share the news that on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, wildland firefighter, Kaitlyn “KK” Gallagher, 24, of Alexandria, Louisiana, died in the line of duty when she was struck by a tree while responding to the Broken Creek Fire, a 10-acre wildfire now contained, which was in Rapides Parish on the Kisatchie National Forest.

“As we experience this terrible tragedy, our prayers are with KK’s family, friends, and all who knew her,” said Lisa Lewis, Forest Supervisor. “The loss of KK is deeply felt throughout the Forest Service, the entire wildland fire community, and our local community. We extend our deepest condolences to everyone who was touched by her life.”

KK joined the U.S. Forest Service as a Wildland Firefighter Apprentice in 2025. She spent two summers on the Shoshone National Forest in Wyoming, serving on both engine and wildland fire modules. While working for the Kisatchie National Forest, KK assisted with prescribed burns and responding to wildfires. Her joy for life, heart for service, and love of outdoors made her a valued member of the U.S. Forest Service. Her family stated that KK’s passion was sharing her faith in Jesus, a passion she lived out while helping shape young lives as a Youth Leader at Our Lady of Prompt Succor Catholic Church and Girls Basketball and Softball coach at Holy Savior Menard High School, both in Alexandria.

The Forest Service is providing support to KK’s family, crewmates and other affected employees. The Forest Service Honor Guard is standing with KK’s family and providing a flag memorial service honoring her.

10/14/2026

CONTEST REMINDER to Kids Head Start through 8th Grade!!!
Don't miss your chance to win some really cool prizes!!

Choctaw Nation Forestry Launches Inaugural Smokey Bear Art & Wildfire Prevention Essay Contests!

🔥 In celebration of Fire Prevention Month, we are excited to host our first-ever Fire Prevention Month contests! From now through October 31, youth can showcase their creativity and fire safety knowledge for a chance to win exclusive prizes. 🔥

🍁 CONTEST CATEGORIES:
• Head Start/Pre-School – 4th Grade (Art Contest): Submit an original sketch or a colored drawing of Smokey Bear.
• 5th – 8th Grade (Essay Contest): Submit an essay of 100 words or more detailing practical ways kids can help prevent wildfires.

🎁 PRIZES & RECOGNITION:
One winner from each age group will be selected during the first week of November. Winners will receive a special prize package filled with official Smokey Bear collectibles and goodies! We will also feature the winning submissions right here on our page.

📝 HOW TO ENTER:
Entries must be submitted by October 31 using one of the following methods:
• 📨 Direct Message: Send a clear photo or scan of the entry directly to our Facebook Messenger or email to [email protected].
• 📍 In Person: Drop off submissions Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, at our headquarters: 11902 SE Highway 63 Talihina, OK 74571
• ℹ️ Please include an email or phone number where we can reach you and let us know where you're from.

📋 CONTEST RULES
• Eligibility: Contestants must reside within the Choctaw Nation tribal jurisdictional boundaries.
• Tribal Membership: Participants do not have to be Tribal members to enter.

Help us spread the word! Share this post with parents, teachers, and kiddos who want to help Smokey protect our communities and wildlands. 🌲🐻

10/14/2026

🚗 𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗚𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆?
𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽: 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 - 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁
𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 and 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 will be visiting the children at the 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗗𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁, 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 𝗪𝗲𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟰𝘁𝗵!.

Today makes the 5th visit Smokey Bear has made across the Choctaw Nation throughout October in observance of 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. His mission is to share critical wildfire prevention education and connect with our communities' youth.

Smokey is incredibly excited to meet everyone today and share his timeless message: "𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨!" 🌲🔥
https://smokeybear.com/

ℹ️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱: Follow our page all month long for updates as we share more stops on Smokey’s October tour!
See less

10/13/2026

🚗 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱! 𝗧𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆'𝘀 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽: 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 - 𝗔𝘁𝗼𝗸𝗮
𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 and 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 are 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬, 𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟭𝟯𝘁𝗵! Smokey Bear will be visiting the children at the 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝘁𝗼𝗸𝗮.

This is another fun and exciting visit Smokey will make across the Choctaw Nation throughout October in observance of 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. His mission is to share critical wildfire prevention education and connect with our communities' youth.

Smokey is incredibly excited to meet everyone today and share his timeless message: "𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨!" 🌲🔥
https://smokeybear.com/

ℹ️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱: Follow our page all month long for updates as we share more stops on Smokey’s October tour!

10/08/2026

🚗 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗛𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗮𝗱! 𝗡𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗽: 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 - 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿

𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘆 and 𝗦𝗺𝗼𝗸𝗲𝘆 𝗕𝗲𝗮𝗿 are hitting the road! Tomorrow, 𝗙𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘆, 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝟵𝘁𝗵, Smokey will be visiting the children at the 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗰𝘁𝗮𝘄 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗛𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗴𝗹𝗲𝗿.

This exciting visit is one of several stops Smokey will make across the Choctaw Nation throughout October in observance of 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵. His mission is to share critical wildfire prevention education and connect with our communities' youth.

Smokey is incredibly excited to meet everyone today and share his timeless message: "𝙊𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙒𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨!" 🌲🔥
https://smokeybear.com/

ℹ️ 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘆 𝗧𝘂𝗻𝗲𝗱: Follow our page all month long for updates as we share more stops on Smokey’s October tour!

10/07/2026

Halito,

𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝗡𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗼𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘄𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 𝗼𝗻 𝗰𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆!

🔥 𝗛𝘂𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗦𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆: 𝗞𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸 🔥

October 1st marked the official kickoff of the 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐲 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬 here in Oklahoma. As hunters head into the woods to establish camps, campfires naturally become a central part of the experience for cooking, warmth, and fellowship.
However, with increased outdoor activity comes a heightened risk for wildfires. Across the United States, 𝐡𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐥𝐲 𝟖𝟓% 𝐨𝐟 𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲. Campfires remain a leading cause, contributing to tens of thousands of these accidental fires each year.
We want your hunting trip to be memorable for the right reasons. To prevent an enjoyable outdoor experience from turning into a tragedy, follow these essential campfire safety and extinguishing strategies:

🌲 𝗖𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗦𝗔𝗙𝗘𝗧𝗬 𝗧𝗜𝗣𝗦
• 𝗦𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻: Clear all dry leaves, pine needles, and debris within a 10-foot radius of your fire pit before lighting it.
• 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁: Always use designated fire rings where available, or build a rock ring to keep the flames contained.
• 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: Never leave a campfire unattended, even for a few minutes. An adult must supervise the fire at all times.
• 𝗪𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗔𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀: Avoid lighting fires on dry, windy days when embers can easily travel and ignite nearby brush.

🛑 𝗛𝗢𝗪 𝗧𝗢 𝗣𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗟𝗬 𝗘𝗫𝗧𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗨𝗜𝗦𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗙𝗜𝗥𝗘
• 𝗗𝗿𝗼𝘄𝗻: Pour water over all embers, coals, and wood until the hissing sound stops completely.
• 𝗦𝘁𝗶𝗿: Use a shovel to stir the ashes and embers, ensuring all hidden hot spots are exposed.
• 𝗥𝗲𝗽𝗲𝗮𝘁: Apply more water and stir again.
• 𝗧𝗼𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗲𝘀𝘁: Before leaving the site, carefully touch the ashes. If it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.

Let's work together to protect Oklahoma's wildlife, forests, and communities. Stay safe out there, and good luck to all of our hunters this season! 🌲🦌 🐻

For more information, Click here to check out Smokey's Page: https://smokeybear.com/campfire-safety -3

𝐘𝐀𝐊𝐎𝐊𝐄!!!!

10/05/2026

Choctaw Nation Forestry Launches Inaugural Smokey Bear Art & Wildfire Prevention Essay Contests!

🔥 In celebration of Fire Prevention Month, we are excited to host our first-ever Fire Prevention Month contests! From now through October 31, youth can showcase their creativity and fire safety knowledge for a chance to win exclusive prizes. 🔥

🍁 CONTEST CATEGORIES:
• Head Start/Pre-School – 4th Grade (Art Contest): Submit an original sketch or a colored drawing of Smokey Bear.
• 5th – 8th Grade (Essay Contest): Submit an essay of 100 words or more detailing practical ways kids can help prevent wildfires.

🎁 PRIZES & RECOGNITION:
One winner from each age group will be selected during the first week of November. Winners will receive a special prize package filled with official Smokey Bear collectibles and goodies! We will also feature the winning submissions right here on our page.

📝 HOW TO ENTER:
Entries must be submitted by October 31 using one of the following methods:
• 📨 Direct Message: Send a clear photo or scan of the entry directly to our Facebook Messenger or email to [email protected].
• 📍 In Person: Drop off submissions Monday through Friday, between 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM, at our headquarters: 11902 SE Highway 63 Talihina, OK 74571
• ℹ️ Please include an email or phone number where we can reach you and let us know where you're from.

📋 CONTEST RULES
• Eligibility: Contestants must reside within the Choctaw Nation tribal jurisdictional boundaries.
• Tribal Membership: Participants do not have to be Tribal members to enter.

Help us spread the word! Share this post with parents, teachers, and kiddos who want to help Smokey protect our communities and wildlands. 🌲🐻

10/05/2026

Halito!

October is Fire Prevention Month and the team at Choctaw Nation Forestry is excited to bring awareness to wildfire prevention and fire safety all month long.

This week kicks off National Fire Prevention week, and we will be out and about with our O’l pal Smokey Bear visiting numerous schools and other events.

Look for us this week coming to Head Start Programs in Coalgate, Bennington and Stigler!

Check in with us on Facebook throughout the month for Fire Prevention tips and special announcements.

Yakoke!