May 31, 2018
(SALEM, Ore.) — Gov. Kate Brown announced on May 31 a drought emergency for Lake County due to low snowpack and precipitation, low streamflows, and warming temperatures as Oregon braces for the upcoming wildfire season.
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Above: Four eastern Oregon counties are now
in official drought emergencies. Dry conditions
allow fire to spread more easily. |
“Forecasts are predicting severe drought and wildfire conditions for much of Oregon,” Gov. Brown said. “The conditions in Lake County are already concerning, and I’m directing state agencies to prioritize assistance in the area to help minimize the impacts drought conditions could have on the local economy.”
Forecasted water conditions are not expected to improve. The drought is likely to increase fire risk and have significant impacts on agriculture, livestock, natural resources, and the local economy. Lake County officials requested the state to take action on March 21, and the Oregon Drought Council considered the county’s’ requests by weighing current water conditions, future climatic forecasts, and agricultural impacts.
The Governor’s drought declaration allows increased flexibility in how water is managed to ensure that limited supplies are used as efficiently as possible. Oregon’s state agencies will continue to work with local governments and other partners to coordinate efforts and mobilize actions to address drought-related issues. The Governor’s drought declaration authorizes state agencies to expedite water management tools that users would not otherwise have access.
May 24, 2018
Gov. Kate Brown announced May 24 a drought emergency for Harney County, citing low snowpack and precipitation, low streamflows, and warming temperatures as Oregon braces for the upcoming wildfire season. The county joins Grant and Klamath counties in being in a drought emergency.
Harney County officials requested the state take action. The Oregon Drought Council considered the county’s requests by weighing current water conditions, future climatic forecasts, and agricultural impacts.
“Oregon has already experienced hotter and dryer than usual conditions, and drought conditions in Harney County are expected to worsen in the months ahead,” Governor Brown said. “To minimize the impacts of drought on the local economy and community, I’m directing state agencies to work with local and federal partners to provide assistance to Harney County.”
Forecasted water conditions are not expected to improve. In addition to increasing wildfire risk, drought is likely to have significant impacts on agriculture, livestock, natural resources, and the local economy.
The Governor’s drought declaration allows increased flexibility in how water is managed to ensure that limited supplies are used as efficiently as possible. Oregon’s state agencies will continue to work with local governments and other partners to coordinate efforts and mobilize actions to address drought-related issues. The Governor’s drought declaration authorizes state agencies to expedite water management tools to which users would not otherwise have access.
As state and local officials coordinate with federal partners, conditions will be closely monitored by the state’s natural resource and public safety agencies, including the Oregon Water Resources Department and the Oregon Office of Emergency Management.
May 3, 2018
In the wake of last year’s serious wildfire season, the governors of Oregon and nine other Western states have proclaimed May 2018 as Wildfire Awareness Month. The chief executives signed a joint proclamation encouraging all citizens to “take steps to better prepare their home and communities for wildfires and work toward becoming a fire-adapted community.”
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Above: People who live in or near forest or grasslands
should clear vegetation and other fuels
from near their home to reduce the risk from wildfire. |
During May, the 10 states are partnering with fire prevention agencies and organizations to increase awareness of wildfires. In Oregon, there are new public service announcements, some featuring Gov. Kate Brown. The announcements explain how every Oregonian can take steps to keep their home and the state safer from wildfire.
Kris Babbs, president of the Keep Oregon Green Association, said, “The Governor, along with the Keep Oregon Green Association, the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, is seeking the public’s help to prevent human-caused wildfires like the ones that swept the state last summer.”
Wildfires – 45% of which were caused by humans – burned approximately 717,000 acres statewide last year, disrupting travel, degrading air quality, damaging trails and destroying homes and other resources.
“When it comes to preventing wildfires, there’s a lot at stake – lives, personal property, and the many resources provided by Oregon’s forests and rangelands,” said Babbs. “People caused more than 900 wildfires in Oregon last year. So people can make a big difference in reducing the number of wildfires.”
”It is vital that all Oregonians work with their neighbors to plan and prepare for fire season, especially in those areas currently experiencing drought as well as the more fire-prone landscapes of central and southwest Oregon. Educating yourself now about how fires can get started will be key in reducing wildfire starts,” said Babbs.
She said Wildfire Awareness Month will provide lots of opportunities for people to educate themselves about wildfire causes and consequences and to participate in community fire prevention projects.
Wildfires can start at home
Wildfires in the wildland-urban interface often are started by human activity, such as debris burning or lawn mowing, and then spread to the forest. Once underway, a fire follows the fuel, whether it is trees or houses.
Oregon Department of Forestry’s Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields said, “Simple prevention strategies can make your home, family and community much safer. Spring is the perfect time to remove dead or flammable vegetation from around houses and other structures and to limb up trees around the yard. The goal is to reduce nearby fuels that pose a fire risk,” he said.
To get an early start on Wildfire Awareness Month, join your neighbors in reducing your community’s wildfire risk by taking part in National Wildfire Community Preparedness Day on Saturday, May 5. The National Fire Protection Association has teamed up with State Farm Insurance to encourage residents to commit a couple of hours, or the entire day, to raising wildfire awareness and working on projects that can protect homes and entire communities from the threat of fire.
To learn even more, from May through June the World Forestry Center in northwest Portland is hosting a family-friendly exhibit about wildfire produced by the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Keep Oregon Green Association. Smokey Bear will be on site on Saturday, May 5 to kick off the exhibit and again on Saturday, June 9. There will be displays of fire-resistant plants and maps showing Oregon wildfires.
April 24, 2018
SALEM, Ore.
— With smoke from the 2017 wildfires still fresh in the minds of Oregonians, the
Oregon Department of Forestry is already gearing up for this summer’s wildfires.
The
agency’s Interim Fire Operations Manager Blake Ellis said a lot of preparation
goes on behind the scenes each winter and spring. “We work to ensure
firefighters are equipped and ready to respond quickly and effectively to
wildfires all year, with a special emphasis on being staffed and ready for the drier
months,” said Ellis. ” We essentially double our firefighting forces going into
the summer, when wildfire risk is highest.”
Readiness activities
include:
·
Contracts and agreements for firefighting
equipment, aircraft and other resources have been signed
·
A new policy governing use of remotely piloted
aerial vehicles (also known as drones or UAVs) has been adopted. These systems
will support fire protection and natural resource management.
·
Hiring of seasonal firefighters is underway. New
firefighters will attend training at ODF and interagency fire schools across
the state in June.
·
Permanent and returning firefighters will take fire
line refresher training over the next two months.
·
Hundreds of miles of fire hose have been cleaned
and rolled, ready for use statewide.
Last year
ODF had great success testing out infrared technology. Carried on aerial
vehicles, the equipment was able to see through heavy smoke on two Oregon
wildfires – Horse Prairie and Eagle Creek. These systems provide sharp images
and real-time fire mapping for fire managers, boosting safety and tactical
planning. This year ODF is incorporating these technologies into its toolkit.
ODF’s
Aviation Manager Neal Laugle said the increasing use of various types of
aircraft in recent years highlights the importance of keeping up with new technology
to achieve the agency’s mission. “From detection to fire mapping and active
wildfire suppression, aircraft continue to play a critical role in the fight to
save lives, resources and property,” said Laugle.
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Above: A large air tanker drops water in Grant County
as part of a demonstration of its firefighting capabilities. |
Last year,
contracted aircraft flew 1,477 hours on firefighting missions for ODF, more
than 100 hours above average, he said. For 2018 the agency has contracted the
same number of aircraft as last year.
“We have 27
aircraft based across the state, including helicopters, fixed-wing detection
planes, single-engine air tankers and a large airtanker, all of which we’ve
secured for our exclusive use. We also have call-when needed agreements with a
number of companies for additional firefighting aircraft. Among these agreements
is one for the use of a 747 modified to carry 19,000 gallons of retardant
should the situation warrant.”
ODF will continue
to have access to aviation resources from other states and federal agencies
upon request.
“Uncontrolled
fires can be devastating. Our relationships with our partners are invaluable to
support prevention and suppression efforts statewide,” said Ellis.
#
# #
December 27, 2017
Oregon firefighters deployed by ODF and the Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations returned safely before Christmas from the Thomas Fire in Southern California. Since their return, the wildfire has officially become the largest in California in modern times. According to Cal Fire statistics, the Thomas Fire’s size is 281,620 acres. That’s more than 8,000 acres larger than the 273,246-acre Cedar Fire of 2003 – the previous record holder since reliably accurate mapping began in the 1930s.
According to Cal Fire, the Thomas Fire is now 88% contained and is not expected to spread further. The number of personnel assigned to the fire has reportedly fallen below 900.
December 22, 2017
Over 60 firefighting personnel from Oregon Department of Forestry districts
and Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations will be returning to Oregon
this holiday weekend from Southern California, where they have been helping
battle the Thomas Fire. That fire is now reported as 60% contained. The
firefighters will be returning in the same 25 fire engines in which they
traveled to California.
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Above: Firefighters from ODF’s Eastern Oregon Area
pause for a group photo after fighting
the Thomas Fire in Southern California.
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The ODF and
association firefighters have been engaged on the fire northwest of Los Angeles
for almost two weeks. During that time, the Thomas Fire has grown to more than
272,000 acres, almost equal to the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego, which has
stood as the largest wildfire in California in modern times.
Oregon sent
the largest contingent of fire engines and personnel from out of state to help
California with the massive blaze, which began on Dec. 4. Earlier this week
some 300 other Oregon firefighters deployed to California through the Oregon
Office of the State Fire Marshal were demobilized.
Unusually
prolonged Santa Ana winds spread the fire through rugged terrain in Ventura and
Santa Barbara counties. The lack of significant rainfall in the area since
February provided ample dead and dry fuel that carried the fire deep into the
Los Padres National Forest as well as nearby communities.
The ODF and
association firefighters dug control lines and put out spot fires during their
assignment. Their
mobilization was part of a mutual-aid agreement that this summer saw California
firefighters travel north to help during an especially intense outbreak of wildfires
in Oregon.
At the peak
of the Thomas Fire, the ODF and association firefighters were part of a virtual
army of more than 8,400 firefighters assigned to the fire. Wind-driven flames
forced the evacuation of thousands of area residents and destroyed more than a
thousand structures, according to Cal Fire’s official information website.
December 21, 2017
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Above: Smoke from the Thomas Fire rises
above ODF fire engines and crews. |
Containment on the Thomas Fire in Southern California has reached 60%. This has allowed fire officials to release about a fourth of the personnel assigned to the fire. Among those returning home from the fire are 300 firefighters and support personnel deployed earlier this month through the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal, which announced yesterday that the 15 task forces it deployed are returning to Oregon.
As of this morning, some 6,500 personnel were still assigned to the fire, including a contingent of 65 firefighters, heavy-equipment bosses and a helicopter crew member from several ODF districts and the Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations. They are expected to be demobilized within the next few days.
One hundred of the 161 out-of-state engines that responded to the Thomas Fire under mutual-aid agreements have come from Oregon. Among the fire engines from Oregon are 25 deployed through ODF. Arizona, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Nevada, Utah and Washington State also sent engines.
The Thomas Fire is now reported as 272,000 acres in size. That ranks it second among California wildfires since the 1930s, when reliably accurate sizes began to be recorded for all wildfires. The Thomas Fire is only slightly smaller than the largest wildfire in modern California history – the 2003 Cedar Fire. That fire was also driven by strong Santa Ana winds. It spread across some 273,000 acres, killing 14 people and leaving 104 firefighters injured. By contrast, there has been one firefighter fatality and no reported firefighter injuries at the Thomas Fire.
Left: A sun turned red by smoke from the Thomas Fire in Southern California sets over two ODF engines. They are part of a contingent of 25 engines the agency deployed as part of a mutual-aid agreement with California.
December 18, 2017
The more than 8,400 firefighters and support personnel assigned to
the Thomas Fire northwest of Los Angeles have achieved 45% containment of the
blaze, according to information posted today by Cal Fire. Some 366 Oregon
firefighters are engaged on the Thomas Fire, including a contingent of 66
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Above: Oregon firefighters deployed by ODF
to the Thomas Fire put out a spot fire
threatening an avocado orchard. |
firefighters from several ODF districts and the Coos and Douglas Forest
Protective Associations.
Despite the containment gains, the Thomas Fire spread over the
weekend, growing to 270,500 acres in size. That makes it the third
largest in California since at least the 1930s.
ODF’s agency representative this weekend spent time in the Santa Barbara area,
where the fire made a three-mile advance Saturday. “Due to excellent
firefighting, including Oregon task forces, the amount of structures damaged or
destroyed was much less than expected,” he reported. “The suppression
action was intense and impressive, with innumerable small, medium and large
spot fires being suppressed in and around heavily populated areas.”
The agency representative also commented that, “ODF and
Forest Protection Association personnel engaged on the fire continue to perform
to a very high degree of skill and professionalism.”
Cal Fire reported that to date the Thomas Fire has destroyed more
than 750 single-family residence and damaged almost 200 others. Thousands of
people have been forced to evacuate in advance of the fire, which is burning in
Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. Some 18,000 structures are still
considered at risk from the fire. Much of the fire is burning in the Los Padres
National Forest. The forest covers 1.76 million acres of rugged terrain from
sea level to more than 8,000 feet in elevation. Popular with hikers, it is also
home to a number of rare or threatened species, including the California
condor.
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Above: Some 25 fire engines are deployed
to the Thomas Fire from several ODF districts
and the Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations. |
A note on Santa Ana winds
Prolonged Santa Ana winds have fanned the Thomas Fire since it began Dec.4, contributing to its rapid growth and extreme fire behavior. These winds originate as a high-pressure system over the Great Basin and upper Mojave Desert. The cool, dry air sweeps across the deserts of eastern California before funneling through mountain passes and canyons to the Pacific Ocean. Three things happen when Santa Ana winds are blowing: it gets warmer, wind speed increases and humidity plummets, all of which increase fire risk.
December 14, 2017
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Above: Flames from Southern California’s
Thomas Fire shoot up over shrubs left dry
by months without rain.
Photo from Inciweb by Kari Greer. |
Cal Fire reported today that there has been one firefighter fatality on the Thomas Fire involving one of that agency’s California staffers. ODF extends its condolences to that firefighter’s family and to all our colleagues at Cal Fire. As more details are released by Cal Fire we will share that information.
ODF’s agency representative at the Thomas Fire reports that all 62 firefighting personnel deployed there from ODF districts and the Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations are safe. The Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal is reporting that the 300 Oregon firefighters deployed through that office and other fire entities are also safe.
Our firefighters are among more than 8,000 personnel engaged on the Thomas Fire, which is burning in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties northwest of Los Angeles. It has grown to more than 242,000 acres, making it the fourth largest wildfire in modern California history. As in any wildfire, firefighter safety is a top priority for our task force leaders and crews.
A red-flag warning is in effect until 10 a.m. Friday. No rain is forecast. In Santa Barbara County, the fire continues to threaten Santa Barbara, Carpinteria, Summerland, Montecito and surroundings areas. Some 18,000 structures are reported at risk and big sections of the Los Padres National Forest have burned. High fuel loading, critically low fuel moistures, above-average temperatures and single-digit relative humidities are reported to be spurring growth on the fire’s west, east and north sides. Despite that, firefighters have made progress on the fire. As of this morning the fire was reported as 30% contained.
While wildfires occur every year in California, 14 of the 20 largest fires by acres burned have all occurred since 2001, according to Cal Fire statistics. Eight of those mega-fires happened just in the past decade.
For the latest information about the Thomas Fire, visit Cal Fire’s incident information page at http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents.
December 12, 2017
Signs proclaiming Detroit and Idanha as new Firewise USA communities were unveiled Friday, Dec. 8 in both locations. Detroit and Idanha are the first two communities in Marion County whose efforts to reduce wildfire risk have earned them this national designation.
Detroit and Idanha join about 1,400 other communities nationwide who have taken the five necessary steps to earn Firewise USA status since the program started in 2002. About 124 Oregon communities have earned the designation. Most are in southern and central Oregon, with about half in Jackson and Deschutes counties.
The steps all communities seeking Firewise status in Oregon must take are:
Obtain a written wildfire risk assessment from the Oregon Department of Forestry or a local fire department.
Form a board or committee, and create an action plan based on the assessment.
Conduct a “Firewise Day” event.
Invest a minimum of $2 per capita in local Firewise actions for the year.
Create a Firewise Portal account and submit an application to your state Firewise liaison.
For their Firewise Day event on May 6, both Detroit and Idanha held a free disposal day for vegetation residents removed from around their buildings. Keeping trees and shrubs at least 30 feet away from structures creates a defensible space and makes it harder for wildfire to catch a building on fire.
The risk-reduction moves were timely as in July the Whitewater Fire started nearby in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness. That fire would eventually grow to over 14,400 acres, coming close enough to threaten both communities.
Representatives from the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service and the Idanha-Detroit Rural Fire Protection District as well as local dignitaries and volunteers will be on hand for the public unveiling of the Firewise USA signs.
December 11, 2017
SALEM, Ore.
— Some 25 engines and over 60 firefighting personnel from Oregon Department of
Forestry districts and forest protective associations are in Southern California
helping battle the 230,500-acre Thomas Fire.
The Oregon
firefighters traveled from various points around the state to California on Friday
and Saturday. All arrived over the weekend at the California Southern Region Prado
Mobilization Center in Chino, about 35 miles east of Los Angeles.
The ODF
firefighters are assigned to the Thomas Fire in Santa Barbara County. As of
this morning, Cal Fire was reporting that close to 6,400 firefighters and more
than 850 fire engines were engaged in fighting the fire, which is threatening a
number of communities. The blaze, fueled by strong winds, has already burned almost 40,000 more acres than this year’s largest wildfire in Oregon (the 191,125-acre Chetco Bar Fire).
The five ODF
task forces, each made up of five engines, were requested by California fire
officials through an interstate resource-sharing system known as ROSS (Resource
Ordering and Status System). They are in addition to over 300 other Oregon fire
service personnel sent to fight Southern California fires by the Oregon State
Fire Marshal’s Office and fellow entities.
“California
and Oregon have a longstanding relationship with mutual reciprocation when
suppression resources are needed,” said Oregon State Forester Peter Daugherty. “California
was there for us during our challenging fire season this year and Oregon is
fortunate to have the opportunity to return the favor.”
Safety for the deployed firefighters is a priority for ODF leaders. Experienced team leaders are with each task force, several of whom have had additional training in firefighter safety. A seasoned agency representative and an agency representative trainee are with the strike teams to lend additional support.
Severe fire
weather is expected to continue, promoting significant fire growth in Santa
Barbara County, where a number of communities are under mandatory evacuation
orders. Cal Fire has reported that some 18,000 structures are threatened by the fire, with more than having been destroyed. For the latest information about the Thomas Fire, visit Cal Fire incident information page.
This is the second deployment of ODF firefighters and engines to California this year. The deployment in October of five engines and personnel from the Southwest and Klamath-Lake districts was to help with devastating wildfires in Northern California.
During the summer, California firefighting resources were among several out-of-state resources that answered requests to assist with the many fires that were burning across Oregon.
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October 31, 2017
MOLALLA,
Ore. — At least nine slash burns on private land in the north Cascade
foothills reignited over the Oct. 28-29 weekend as windy conditions picked up, according
to Oregon Department of Forestry officials in the North Cascade District. Seven
of the fires are located in Clackamas County and one each in Marion and Linn
counties. Smoke from the fires can be seen east of Molalla and areas south.
Lyons is the community closest to the fires. The fires range in size from two
to just over 100 acres.
Landowners
have been engaging the fires since early Monday morning. Since early Monday
afternoon ODF has had an aerial observer in a fixed-wing aircraft helping
pinpoint and report on the fires. Currently only one fire, in Marion County
near Lyons, has crossed property lines. ODF is actively engaged with the
landowners fighting that fire, with fire engines and personnel. ODF personnel
and engines along with a hand crew from Coffee Creek Correctional Institute are
also assisting on fires in Clackamas County. On some fires, ODF staff are
advising and monitoring the landowner’s suppression efforts and are ready to
call in support when requested or if conditions threaten spread beyond the property
owner’s land.
October 20, 2017
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Above: Firefighters head for home after suppressing the
Naylox Fire in central Oregon. Fire season has now ended
on all lands protected by ODF statewide. |
The Oregon Department of Forestry has officially ended fire season on all private and public lands it protects statewide, with the last district – Southwest Oregon – lifting fire restrictions at 9 a.m. today (Friday, Oct. 20).
ODF and its fire protective association partners suppressed over a thousand fires this year that burned an estimated 42,000 acres. By comparison, the severe fire seasons from 2013-2015 accounted for an annual average of 81,467 acres burned.
“This was a significant year for wildfire,” said ODF Fire Protection Deputy Chief Ron Graham. “Thanks to aggressive and safe firefighting, we were able to keep the great majority of fires small in scale. I’m also pleased that we had no firefighter fatalities and injuries were below the expected average.
“Our partners within Oregon’s complete and coordinated fire protection system played key roles this year, from forest landowners to rural fire districts, the Oregon National Guard, Oregon State Fire Marshal and other state and federal partners, including those from out of state,” Graham added. “We are grateful for all the collaboration and support we received in what turned out to be a very busy fire season.”
The number of wildfire starts this year was close to average, but the number of acres burned was significantly higher. Just one fire accounted for nearly half the total acres burned on lands protected by ODF and its forest protective association partners. Lightning started the Chetco Bar Fire in a wilderness area in Curry County. Over the summer it became Oregon’s largest fire of the year, scorching 191,125 acres, including 20,000 acres of private and public land protected by the Coos Forest Protective Association.
Lightning was unusually rare last year but returned with a vengeance in August, keeping firefighters in southern and eastern Oregon busy well into September. ODF statistics show that the majority of wildfires continue to be caused by humans. Human-caused fires are up 9 percent over last year, underscoring the importance of prevention, Graham said.
“Fire prevention remains our top priority,” he said. “Fires caused by humans, especially debris burning and abandoned campfires that have not been extinguished properly, continue to raise concern. We need the public’s help to reduce these careless and costly fires.”
Graham reminds Oregonians that fire season does not mean the end of fire prevention. “I urge everyone to continue to practice vigilance with any potential source of fire all year long,” he said. “When burning yard debris, do so during daylight hours under calm conditions. Scrape a fire trail down to mineral soil completely around burn piles. Keep piles small and manageable, feeding the fire periodically from larger piles. Monitor the burn carefully and keep a shovel and charged garden hose at the ready.”
Just like a campfire, never leave the burn pile unattended and put the fire completely out before leaving.
Burn piles, especially tightly compacted piles, can hold heat and smolder for many weeks, rekindling when the temperature goes up and the wind blows. That’s why they should be revisited periodically over several weeks to make sure the fire has not rekindled. Residents should contact their local fire department before conducting any burning as restrictions vary among local fire districts.
Fire season is declared and terminated on a district-by-district basis based on fire danger conditions. Below is a list of ODF fire protection districts and their fire season start and end dates:
– South Cascade District, June 26 to Oct. 11
– Western Lane District, June 26 to Oct. 11
– North Cascade District, July 5 to Oct. 11
– West Oregon District, July 3 to Oct. 11
– Northwest Oregon District, July 10 to Oct.11
– Coos Forest Protective Association, June 26 to Oct. 13
– Walker Range Fire Patrol Association, June 2 to Oct. 13
– Douglas Forest Protective Association, June 19 to Oct. 12
– Northeast Oregon District, June 26 to Oct. 12
– Central Oregon District, June 7 to Oct. 16
– Klamath-Lake District, June 5 to Oct. 19
– Southwest Oregon District, June 4 to Oct. 20
# # #
October 10, 2017
Firefighters from ODF’s Northeast Oregon District were able to catch at 74 acres a fire burning in grass and timber over the weekend about three miles northwest of Weston Station.
The Hay Creek Fire started just after 4 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 6. ODF responded with four engines – two from the Pendleton unit, one from the Wallowa unit and one from La Grande. The landowner also responded as did East Umatilla Rural Fire Department, Tribal Fire, Pendleton Fire, Milton-Freewater Fire, U.S. Forest Service and Oregon Department of Transportation. Oregon State Police had to temporarily close Highway 204 because of the fire. The fire was contained later that evening. The cause is under investigation.
October 10, 2017
In making the case for the U.S. to lend supplies to nations fighting the Nazis in Europe in 1940, President Franklin Roosevelt likened it to a good neighbor who “lends a garden hose to the neighbor so he can put out his house fire.” Similarly, when states find their firefighting resources stretched thin by big wildfires, they call on other states to send whatever resources they can spare. Yesterday, ODF’s Southwest and Klamath-Lake districts bordering California sent four engines and their two-person crews to help Northern California. Two of the engines came from Grants Pass, one from Klamath Falls and one from Medford. A ninth ODF employee also went from Medford as overhead.
Because of more than a dozen wind-driven wildfires, California’s governor has declared a fire emergency in three counties – Napa, Sonoma and Yuba. These fast-moving fires have caused fatalities, burned down homes and businesses, caused hurried evacuations and fully engaged local and state firefighting resources. The ODF teams will be put to use where the Northern California incident command deems they are needed most.
This reciprocal aid is an important way the nation’s is able to ensure individual states or regions are not overwhelmed during peak fire events. For example, in 2016 after an unusually calm fire season in the Northwest, ODF sent personnel to help fight forest fires in the Southeast, where a long drought led to severe wildfires. Those fires pummeled North Carolina and northern Georgia in October and November. This year, North Carolina returned the favor, being one of about a dozen or more states that sent resources to Oregon during our busy summer wildfire season.
Another state that helped this summer was California, which sent teams north into ODF’s Southwest Oregon District during what District Forester Dave Larson calls “The Siege of 2017.” Over eight weeks in August and September, district firefighters battled some 317 wildfires. At the peak, during a single week in August, ODF responded to 154 wildfires in Josephine and Jackson counties – an average of 22 a day. Cal-Fire, the state agency responsible for fighting wildfires on state-protected lands, sent crews that helped with initial attack.
In addition to California resources, private landowners also stepped up. Larson cited Handcock, Murphy Timber, and Weyerhaeuser as three which supplied equipment to supplement ODF forces on initial attack. The Oregon Department of Transportation also lent equipment and other support, including water tenders, masticators and lowboys to move equipment. At the local level, the Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs Association organized three strike teams totaling 15 engines and three support vehicles, drawn from these entities:
Jackson County Fire District #3
Jackson County Fire District #4
Jackson County Fire District #5
Jacksonville Fire Department
Medford Fire Rescue
Rogue Valley International Airport Fire
Rogue River Fire District
One result of this mutual aid was the Southwest Oregon District was able to contain 97 percent of all wildfires on ODF-protected land to less than 10 acres, and total acres burned to under a thousand. Similar stories could be told from ODF’s other districts. Those experiencing fewer wildfires were able to temporarily loan equipment and crews where the need was greatest. For example, over the course of this fire season the Tillamook District was able to spare equipment and about two dozen staff to help out in parts of the state experiencing high wildfire volumes. In total they spent the equivalent of 458 days fighting fires, including helping protect private lands threatened by the Whitewater Fire in the northern Cascades. Such loans keep staff productively engaged, adding to their experience and honing their skills for use back on their home district.
October 10, 2017
Despite cooler overnight
temperatures, fire can still pose a danger in Oregon. This was demonstrated Monday evening when firefighters from the
Douglas Forest Protective Association and Camas Valley Rural Fire Department
responded to a grass fire about 1.5 miles northeast of Camas Valley in Douglas County. Crews arrived on scene of the Camas Mountain
Fire and attacked the blaze, which was burning through grass at a moderate rate
of spread. Firefighters stopped the Camas Mountain Fire at 3/4 of an acre
and remained on scene for about an hour, mopping up hot spots and securing
control lines.
Fire officials determined
that the Camas Mountain Fire was caused by hot ashes from a wood stove being
dumped in dry grass. While there are no restrictions on using wood stoves
insides homes, it is important that the ashes are disposed of properly so they
don’t start a wildfire. Ash from a fireplace or wood stove can retain
enough heat to ignite other combustible material for several days after a
fire.
When cleaning ash from a fireplace or wood stove, follow these
tips:
- Treat all ashes as hot!
- Never put hot ash into a
paper or plastic bag, cardboard box or other similar container. The
only type of container suitable for ash storage is a metal or ceramic container with
a tight-fitting lid.
- Spray water on the ash
prior to attaching the metal lid to the container and allow them to
completely cool outside, away from your home.
- Never store a metal ash container (with ashes in them) on a deck, in a garage, or in any location that may allow heat to transfer
from the hot coals to nearby flammable items.
- Once the ash has
completely cooled, only dump them in areas free of flammable
vegetation.
- As an additional precaution, have a garden hose and
shovel on site when you dump the ash so you can spray water and mix the
ash to ensure they are completely out.
# # #
October 9, 2017
Ever since 1925, National Fire Prevention Week has been observed on the Sunday through Saturday of the week when Oct. 9 falls in commemoration of the Great Chicago Fire. That conflagration started on Oct. 8, 1871 but did most of its damage the next day. The fire killed more than 250 people, destroyed more than 17,400 structures and burned more than 2,000 acres. A hundred thousand people were left homeless by the fire. Contrary to urban myth, the blaze was not started by Mrs. O’Leary’s cow knocking over a lantern. Although the fire did start near the O’Leary barn, a news writer admitted years afterward that he had made up the story, according to Chicago historian Robert Cromie.
The most devastating forest fire in American history started on the same day as the Great Chicago Fire. However, the Peshtigo Fire drew little notice because it started in a rural area of Wisconsin and newspapers focused on the damage to more populous Chicago.
Contemporary accounts say the Peshtigo blaze began when several railroad workers clearing land for tracks in northeast Wisconsin unintentionally started a brush fire. Before long, the fast-moving flames were whipping through the area ‘like a tornado,’ some survivors said. The fire burned down a dozen towns, killed at least 1,152 people and possibly hundreds more, and scorched 1.2 million acres before it ended. The small town of Peshtigo, Wisconsin suffered the worst damage. Within an hour, the entire town had been destroyed and half its population had perished.
Those who survived the Chicago and Peshtigo fires never forgot what they’d been through. The fires also changed the way that firefighters and public officials thought about fire safety. On the 40th anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire, the Fire Marshals Association of North America (today known as the International Fire Marshals Association), decided that the anniversary of the Great Chicago Fire should be observed in a way that would keep the public informed about the importance of fire prevention. By 1920, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed the anniversary as the first National Fire Prevention Day. Two years later, the entire week during which the anniversary falls was declared Fire Prevention Week. Every president since Calvin Coolidge in 1925 has proclaimed National Fire Prevention Week.
Although not as common as summer fire starts, Oregon has also seen destructive wildfires in October, one reason fire season usually lasts through at least mid-October. One of the worst years for October wildfires in Oregon was 1987. That year, on Oct. 9 the Shady Lane Fire started in Polk County. It burned more than 1,000 acres before over 300 fire fighters managed to contain it. The next day, the 20-acre Alder Creek Fire threatened a dozen homes east of Sandy in Clackamas County, and the Wanless Road Fire burned nearly 70 acres of brush and timber northwest of Sheridan. Later in the month, a fire south of Coos Bay burned some 225 acres. The Rockhouse Creek Fire, which started on Oct. 18, burned about 5,000 acres west of Dallas, destroying about 35% of the city’s watershed.
October 6, 2017
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Above: Visitors coming to Oregon for the Aug. 21 eclipse were made aware
of wildfire risks in a statewide campaign this summer. The campaign
likely contributed to a temporary dip in human-caused wildfires during
a two-week period around the eclipse. |
SALEM, Ore. — Fears
that an influx of people coming to see the solar eclipse in Oregon on Aug. 21
might spark more wildfires didn’t come to pass. In fact, at least on the 16
million acres protected from fire by the Oregon Department of Forestry, the
period just before and after the eclipse actually saw fewer human-caused wildfires than
normal.
Emergency
management planners had estimated as many as a million visitors might come to
Oregon for the eclipse. The timing – right at the peak of wildfire season in
mid-August – could not have been worse from the viewpoint of wildfire
officials. That raised fears that the best viewing locations in the path of
totality – fire-prone central and eastern Oregon – would see a spike in
wildfires just when resources would be stretched thinnest.
Those concerns
prompted ODF to support a vigorous wildfire prevention campaign in conjunction
with:
·
Keep Oregon Green
·
Oregon Office of Emergency Management
·
Oregon State Parks
·
Travel Oregon
·
Oregon Department of Transportation
·
Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal
·
Oregon State Police
·
American Red Cross
·
U.S. Forest Service
·
Bureau of Land Management
The campaign
included 19 billboards; messaging signs along highways, Portland airport and
malls; TV and radio ads; placemats in restaurants; and websites, Facebook and
other media platforms.
“We asked
visitors to enjoy the eclipse but be careful not to start a wildfire,” says
Keep Oregon Green President Kristin Babbs. “
Although fewer
people than the expected one million traveled to the path of totality, the hundreds
of thousands who did come should have led to increased fire starts. Instead, it
appears the campaign’s messaging worked. There was no increase in wildfires on
ODF-protected land around the time of the eclipse. Not only that, but during
the week before and the week after the eclipse, wildfire starts statewide on those
lands were actually lower. There were just 62 human-caused wildfire starts during those two
weeks compared to 77 starts in 2015, and much lower than the 89 starts in 2016.
Human-caused wildfire starts were also lower than the 10-year average of 70.
In the most
fire-prone part of the path of totality – central Oregon – there were only
three wildfire starts during the two-week influx of eclipse visitors. That was
the lowest number for that period since 2008. And it was only half the 10-year
average of six wildfire starts on ODF-protected land in central Oregon during
those same two weeks.
“We’re happy
visitors and Oregonians heeded messages to obey fire restrictions and campfire
bans, and to not pull off highways onto dry grass to view the eclipse,” says
Babbs. “Every wildfire we prevented was one less destroying resources and
putting smoke in the air.”
The careful behavior
around the time of the eclipse is even more impressive when viewed against the
increase in human-caused wildfires during the 2017 fire season. On
ODF-protected land, the number of human-caused wildfires from the start of the
year through Sept. 30 was 684, well above the 10-year average of 611. So while
humans in 2017 have caused about 12 percent more wildfires than the 10-year
average, they caused fewer around the time of the eclipse.
Given the heavy
demand on firefighting resources this summer in Oregon and across the West, the
dip in new fires around the eclipse was a relief to fire officials. They were
already fully engaged before the eclipse with a dozen or more large wildfires
on both sides of the Cascades. After eclipse visitors left, more fires started.
Through Sept. 30, the Northwest Interagency Coordinating Center has reported a
total of more than 70 large wildfires in Oregon.
# #
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October 5, 2017
|
Above: October continues to see some fire starts,
such as the Little Applegate Fire in southern Oregon.
It burned 9.5 acres before being put out an hour after
it was first reported. Photo courtesy of
ODF Southwest Oregon District. |
Proof that the 2017 fire season is still in effect came this afternoon when firefighters halted the Little Applegate Fire in southern Oregon about an hour after it was called in. First reported just after 12:30 p.m. as a one-acre fire, within minutes, the fire began spreading and spotting upslope near two homes off the intersection of Upper Applegate and Little Applegate Roads near the Applegate River. While the two homes were initially threatened by the fire, no homes were lost or damaged by this incident; however, an outbuilding has been deemed a total loss. Firefighters stopped the blaze at 9.5 acres.
Crews from ODF’s Southwest Oregon District, Applegate Valley Fire District, Jacksonville Fire, U.S. Forest Service Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest, and the Rogue Valley 2 Strike Team assisted in the suppression of this fire. A special thanks to the U.S. Forest Service for lending their two Type 2 helicopters from the Miller Complex, a group of fires in southwest Jackson County.
District officials thanked their crews and community partners for the continued quick and efficient response to wildfires throughout the region. For video of firefighting efforts, visit the district’s Facebook page: @ODFSouthwest.
October 3, 2017
PRINEVILLE, Ore. – Over the last few weeks cooler temperatures and increased precipitation have reduced the fire danger throughout central Oregon. As a result of this reduced fire danger, the Regulated Closure on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Central Oregon District ended today (Tuesday, Oct. 3). These restrictions were in place to limit human-caused fires during high fire danger when rapid fire growth may occur.
While fire danger is reduced, the potential for fires to burn uncontrolled or ignite due to carelessness remains. Prineville Unit Forester Gordon Foster reminds us, “We need the public to maintain a high level of awareness and be vigilant in their prevention actions. The risk of fire is reduced, not eliminated.”
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Above: It’s October but fire season is still in effect
on lands protected by ODF’s Central Oregon District,
|
Fire season is still in effect for the Central Oregon District, with restrictions still in effect on the use of tracer ammunition and exploding targets as well as other forestry activities.
While campfires are allowed on ODF-protected lands in central Oregon, open burning in The Dalles Unit and Prineville-Sisters Unit requires burn permits. This includes yard debris and burning forestry slash. Never leave a fire unattended, whether a campfire or debris burn. To reduce the risk of an uncontrolled fire:
- always clear the area around the burn area
- have tools handy
- follow all requirements on your permit
Other safe burning practices can be found online at www.keeporegongreen.org. Debris burning in the John Day Unit, including the Fossil Sub-Unit, is prohibited during fire season. Information for obtaining burn permits from the Central Oregon District can be found at www.ODFcentraloregon.com.
The Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) for MH-1 and MH-4 in Hood River and Wasco counties has been reduced to Level 1. Requirements for industrial operators and a map of this area can be found at https://gisapps.odf.oregon.gov/firerestrictions/ifpl.html. Fire season restrictions are still in place in COD, including requirements for hand tools, fire watch, equipment standards, and water supply. Smoking is not allowed while working or traveling in an operation area.
ODF’s Central Oregon District includes private lands in Crook, Deschutes, Grant, Hood River, Jefferson, Wasco, Wheeler, Gilliam, Morrow, and Harney counties, as well as small parts of Umatilla and Lake counties. Landowners, local agencies, and land managers may have additional restrictions in place, always check to be certain you are in compliance. Federal land public use restrictions are available at local National Forest offices, or on their websites.
So far in 2017 human-caused fires have accounted for 60 percent of
fires in the Central Oregon District, an increase of 15 percent over the district’s 10-year average. Uncontrolled fires damage our natural resources including air, water, and soil. For additional information on ODF’s Central Oregon District, please visit www.ODFcentraloregon.com
