Radio failures during March fires underscore need for county system upgrade

Equipment failures delay new countywide system; Payne County exceeds 88.5% of counties in wildfire risk

Chris Peters

Jan 07, 2026 - 8 min read

Wind-blown embers stream from a burning tree during the March 14, 2025 wildfires that destroyed 98 homes and burned 26,301 acres across Payne County. High winds gusting up to 70 mph and low humidity created extreme fire conditions that overwhelmed emergency responders. – Photo by Nick Oxford

Radio failures during March fires underscore need for county system upgrade — Wind-blown embers stream from a burning tree during the March 14, 2025 wildfires that destroyed 98 homes and burned 26,301 acres across Payne County. High winds gusting up to 70 mph and low humidity created extreme fire conditions that overwhelmed emergency responders. – Photo by Nick Oxford

Nearly 10 months after catastrophic wildfires exposed critical communication gaps, Stillwater's upgraded radio system is proving transformative while Payne County's countywide network nears the finish line.

Stillwater's new radio system, operational since late June, has eliminated communication dead zones that hampered emergency response for years, according to Rob Hill, the city's director of emergency management. The county's system, meanwhile, sits at about 90 percent completion as officials await final networking equipment installation.

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