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Wildfires in Oklahoma cause $16 million in damages

The Oklahoma Extension Service says wildfire damages caused more than $16 million in economic losses for the state.

Most of the 310,000 acres that burned on March 7 in Oklahoma was pastureland for grazing cattle. The Oklahoma State University Cooperative Extension estimates cattle ranches took the brunt of losses with more than $14.6 million in damages.  Almost half of that cost is for fence replacement and repair for the more than 1,100 miles of fences impacted.

Livestock marketing specialist Derrell Peel says preliminary estimates include 3,000 head of cattle, 6,000 sows and an unknown number of weaning pigs perished in the fires.

Within 10 days of the fire, extension offices took more than 3,000 calls and coordinated relief efforts from more than 30 states donating livestock feed, fencing, supplies and volunteer labor.

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