Philomath Fire and Rescue firefighters are part of a task force deployed Wednesday to Wasco County to fight the Larch Creek Fire, Deputy Fire Chief Rich Saalsaa reported.
A heavy brush truck with three personnel were sent to the wildfire, located about 5 miles southwest of Dufur. Philomath’s contributions to the Benton and Linn County Task Force include two career personnel, Lt. Lindsay Taylor and firefighter Layne Converse, and one resident, Zander Bradford.
Saalsaa was dispatched in the early morning hours Wednesday to serve as a public information officer for the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s Incident Management Team.
The Benton and Linn County Task Force includes Philomath, Adair, Monroe and Corvallis fire departments. Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act on Tuesday evening, which provided mobilization of assets across the state.
“They are assigned on the night shift to protect structures currently threatened by the fire, particularly in the community of Tygh Valley,” Saalsaa said about the task force. “Today (Wednesday) was a Red Flag Warning day in the area with high temperatures, low humidity and high, sustained winds.”
The Larch Creek Fire was first reported just after 2 p.m. Tuesday. Saalsaa said the cause of the fire was determined to be human activity and is under investigation.
The fire grew to over 9,000 acres in just over 26 hours with no containment.
“The fire jumped U.S. Highway 197 just north of Tygh Valley due to the high winds,” Saalsaa reported. “Helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft were utilized along with several task forces to slow the spread of the fire. Once the sun sets and temperatures drop overnight, that will allow the crews to get a line around the fire, meaning that there is a wide area where fuels are removed to prevent the spread of the fire.
“The fire is spreading over very rugged terrain,” he added, “which makes things harder to establish and keep a toehold on the fire, particularly with the extreme conditions.”
Saalsaa said some of the objectives for the fire include firefighter and public safety, and aggressive protection of homes and infrastructure.
“Our crews will continue to work together as a team with other Oregon fire service agencies … and private contractors,” Saalsaa said. “Landowners who manage their private fields have also joined in the fight against the spread of the fire.”
Agencies participating include the Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management and the U.S. Forest Service.
Saalsaa said Wednesday that he has no idea how long the task force and Philomath personnel will be on site. A commitment can last up to 14 days.