OKLAHOMA (OBV) – The Oklahoma Employment Security Commission (OESC) is offering Disaster Unemployment Assistance (DUA) for individuals impacted by wildfires earlier this year.
OESC is currently accepting DUA applications from individuals adversely affected by wildfires and straight-line winds in Cleveland, Creek, Lincoln, Logan, Oklahoma, Pawnee, and Payne counties.
Wildfires ignited on March 14 and burned approximately 170,000 acres across several Central Oklahoma counties. The wildfires and straight-line winds lasted until March 21, killing four people, injuring 142 people and destroying more than 300 structures.
President Donald Trump authorized federal disaster aid for Oklahoma, two months after the wildfires.
Trump’s disaster declaration enables OESC to provide temporary financial assistance to people whose employment or self-employment was impacted by the disaster.
Individuals who qualify for the wildfire disaster assistance must be unemployed as a direct result of the following circumstances:
- The physical damage or destruction of the place of employment;
- The physical inaccessibility of the place of employment due to its closure by the federal, state, or local government in immediate response to the disaster; or
- Lack of work, or loss of revenues, if, prior to the disaster, the employer or self-employed business received at least a majority of its revenue or income from an entity in the major disaster area that was damaged or destroyed in the disaster or an entity in the major disaster area closed by the federal, state, or local government.
- Individuals who are unable to reach their job or self-employment location because they must travel through the affected area and are prevented from doing so by the disaster;
- Individuals who were to commence employment or self-employment but were prevented by the disaster;
- Individuals who became the breadwinner or major support for a household because of the death of the head of household due to the disaster;
- Individuals who cannot work or perform services in self-employment because of an injury caused as a direct result of the disaster.
- Self-employed individuals may be eligible for benefits if they lost all or part of their livelihood and means of work.
Oklahomans who are unemployed because of the wildfires can file an unemployment insurance claim at https://oklahoma.gov/oesc/individuals. More information on the unemployment insurance can be obtained by calling the Unemployment Service Center at 405-525-1500 or visiting one of OESC’s field offices.
DUA insurance claims must be submitted by July 21, 2025.
Applicants must register for an account on and complete/upload their resume to http://employoklahoma.gov within seven days of submitting their DUA claim.
OESC also requires documentation from applicants.
Required documentation includes the individual’s social security number, proof of earnings (such as a copy of the most recent income tax form), a current check stub and proof of employment (such as documentation to support that you were working or were self-employed).
Required documentation must be submitted within 21 days from the date the DUA application is filed.
Email the documentation to dua@oesc.ok.gov for the most efficient processing. Documentation can also be faxed to (405) 962-7524, with a cover letter addressed to “DUA”, or mailed to:
ATTN: DUA Desk
OESC
P.O. Box 52006
Oklahoma City, OK, 73152-2006
