Since time immemorial, fire has been used as a forest management tool. Introducing periodic fire to fire-adapted landscapes and reducing forest fuels has been shown to reduce the potential for high-intensity wildfires and the huge volume of smoke they produce.
Fire suppression is safer, more effective, and costs less in areas with a recent history of controlled burning. Prescribed forest burning also helps prepare logged sites for replanting, recycling nutrients back into the soil and reducing pests and disease. These planned fires are lit when fire danger is low and weather conditions are favorable for protecting smoke sensitive receptor area (SSRAs) communities from smoke.
While the rates of escape and loss are very low due to the careful planning and preparation required for prescribed fire and cultural burning, there is always some residual risk when working with fire. This risk, and the resulting liability for damages due to escape if uninsured, can deter some practitioners.
In response to Oregonians’ fear about the risk—and with the goal of increasing the pace and scale of controlled burns—The Oregon Department of Forestry has enacted two programs, the Certified Burn Manager (CBM) Program and the Prescribed Fire Liability Program. The overall purpose of both programs is to reduce barriers to prescribed fire in Oregon and protect certified burn managers and landowners from civil liability.
The CBM program, created by Senate Bill 762 (2021), increases capacity for prescribed burns on non-federal, ODF-protected lands through leadership training and a certification program. Through the certification program, individuals seeking to become burn managers learn how to properly plan and oversee a prescribed burn.
When a landowner or community within an ODF protection district uses a certified burn manager, and follows the required burn plan, it protects both from civil liability. The certified burn manager can manage a burn anywhere within ODF protection, whether on their own property or that of other landowners. A potential burn manager does not need to be a landowner to become certified.
The Prescribed Fire Liability Program is intended to increase use of prescribed fire and cultural burning by providing liability coverage for enrolled burns. It authorizes claims covering certain losses arising from escaped prescribed fires and cultural burns. Participation in the program is voluntary.
For your burn to have liability coverage under the program, all the following conditions must be met:
The burn is enrolled in the program prior to burning.
The burn is conducted or supervised by an appropriate party for the burn.
Ensure the burn follows all applicable laws related to the burn (obtain and follow any required permits/burn plan, make required notifications for Certified Burn Manager-led burns, additional paperwork/ submissions for Power Driven Machinery, etc.).
If the burn escapes, the fire must not be a result of willful, malicious, or negligent actions in the origin or subsequent spread.
Expanding access to safely conducted prescribed burns benefits Oregonians by maintaining healthy forests and reducing risks to public safety.
SALEM, Ore. – Due to the extended drying pattern we are experiencing and east winds forecasted for this weekend, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) encourages anyone who may have completed a debris or slash burn in the past few months to monitor and patrol the burn site.
Embers can smolder beneath the surface, even in winter, after a burn and reignite in dry conditions. The National Weather Service is forecasting east winds this weekend with gusts up to 30 mph, which could reignite residual embers and start a fire.
If you feel heat at your burn site, drown the site with water, stir, and repeat until it’s cold to the touch.
“This dry, windy weather is what reminds us that fire can happen in any season, not just summer,” Blake Ellis, ODF’s Fire Operations Manager said.
ODF districts across the state are prepared to respond over the weekend to any new fire starts.
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) welcomes back 70 firefighters who’ve been assigned to the fires in Los Angeles County, California for the past two weeks. While in California, the six strike teams were split between the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire.
“We’re happy to help however we can when we receive the call from one of our partner states,” said Chris Cline, ODF’s Fire Protection Division Chief. “By strengthening our inter-state relationships and agreements, we can provide reciprocal support to one another by sending resources through faster channels.”
The firefighters went to California under state-to-state mutual assistance agreements, which create a reciprocal cache of resources all parties can access when needed. This is especially vital when local and national ordering systems are overtaxed. Partnerships like these are critical to quick, nimble response in today’s wildfire environment and can quickly bolster a requesting state’s capabilities.
“We call this the complete and coordinated fire system,” Cline explained. “The relationships built through deployments like these benefit Oregon when our fire season hits its peak.”
When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, like during winter, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high levels of wildfire. Oregon can and has called on those same states to send firefighters and equipment when wildfires here exceed local capacity. Most recently, Oregon gratefully welcomed 21 firefighters from California to help fill middle management gaps during the 2024 fire season. Overall, Oregon brought in more than 500 people through agreements ODF has with more than 20 states and Canadian provinces and territories.
Additionally, sending ODF firefighters on out-of-state deployments helps them grow as firefighters. In addition to expanding their professional networks outside of Oregon, firefighters learn new suppression tactics and gain experience fighting fire in different environments. The skills and lessons learned brought back from these off-season deployments are then applied to better protect Oregonians, communities and our state’s natural resources.
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s six strike teams have been working alongside CalFire to suppress the wildfires in Los Angeles County.
As of this morning, there are three strike teams (which is equal to 15 engines) assigned to the Palisades Fire and three strike teams assigned to the Eaton Fire. Our firefighters’ duties vary, spanning from initial attack to mop up operations.
The rumor that firefighters were held up or denied due to emissions testing is NOT true. Upon arriving at the Sacramento Command Center, ODF engines underwent vehicle inspections for safety purposes. While in California, CalFire is responsible for the safety of our firefighters and took necessary steps to ensure that safety before sending them to the front lines.
A strike team consists of five Type 6 engines with two to four firefighters per engine, plus a strike team leader. In total, the Oregon Department of Forestry deployed 30 Type 6 engines and 70 firefighters.
The Oregon Department of Forestry is extremely proud of the work our firefighters are doing to support California and the “Whatever it takes” attitude that is brought to every task.
ODF’s strike teams’ expenses will be reimbursed by the state of California.
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) filled an order today to send six strike teams (30 type 6 wildland engines) and other overhead positions to California to help fight the disastrous wildfires in Los Angeles. These wildfires combined with strong wind conditions in Los Angeles County have resulted in thousands evacuating and hazardous air quality.
ODF firefighters are anticipated to arrive at the incident command post tomorrow, at which point they will be briefed on the situation and then assigned where needed. The two-week rotation in California will allow our firefighters to return the favor to our California partners, who sent resources to support Oregon last summer.
Deputy Director of Fire Operations Kyle Williams said, “The Oregon Department of Forestry’s leadership in the wildland firefighting arena makes our firefighters ready for any scenario and sending that expertise to California to help our fellow firefighters in their time of need is the least we can do to support our partners.”
The 70 firefighters are being sent to California via state-to-state mutual assistance agreements with CalFire. When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high fire activity.
“We understand how difficult it can be to need help so desperately. Especially after this past season in Oregon, where we saw an amazing outpouring of support from our out-of-state partners during Oregon’s record-breaking fire season,” said Chris Cline, ODF’s Fire Protection Division Chief.
This past summer was a record-breaking year for the state with over 1.9 million acres burned. Quickly, Oregon’s in-state resources were depleted while more fires continued to pop up. In response to our call for help, Oregon was sent resources from about 20 U.S. states and multiple Canadian provinces and territories, including California who sent 21 high-demand positions.
“These agreements help bolster the complete and coordinated fire protection system across the country and create a cache of reciprocal resources for all of us to call on when needed.” Cline explained.
Through these mutual assistance agreements with other states, including Alaska, Hawaii and NW Canadian territories, we can share resources with one another, creating a larger, faster comprehensive fire management system.
ODF’s strike teams’ expenses will be reimbursed by the state of California
