A Philomath Fire and Rescue crew was among those headed to the Rogue Valley Tuesday as part of an operation to support firefighting efforts in southern Oregon. Structural and wildland firefighters have been busy responding to lightning-sparked wildfires in the aftermath of thunderstorms that rolled through the area.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal mobilized resources to the region, including the deployment of structural task forces from Benton and Lane counties.
“Much of Oregon is being challenged by recent heat, Red Flag warnings and more lightning in the forecast,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Chief Deputy Travis Medema said through a news release. “The local fire agencies in southern Oregon are stretched and we are using the power of the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to bring in extra help.”
The fire marshal’s office used an approach called “Immediate Response” to deploy resources quickly without activating the Emergency Conflagration Act. This strategy is designed to contain fires while they’re still small and keep them from threatening communities, helping to avoid the high costs of major wildfires.
The request for additional aid was made by the Rogue Valley Fire Defense Board’s chief.
In addition, the Oregon Department of Forestry deployed an incident management team to its Southwest Oregon District to assist personnel.
According to the agency, over 72 known fires were confirmed across Jackson and Josephine counties over a 24-hour period from Monday into Tuesday.
“Our firefighters have been working around the clock to keep these fires as small as we can, but resources are becoming limited, especially with other incidents across Oregon and the country competing for the same emergency response professionals,” ODF Southwest Oregon District Forester Dan Quinones said, adding that the operation allows “us to regain our strength locally, handing some of these fires off to firefighters who hold the same drive to take them off the map as quickly as possible. Protecting our communities and putting out fires remain our top priorities.”