Oregon Firepage

10/28/2019

From the State of Oregon Fire Marshals Office regarding Task Force Deployments to California.

PRESS RELEASE: State Fire Marshal Mobilizes Teams and Resources to Help Fight California Wildfires

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) is mobilizing 15 strike teams to assist with the response to California wildfires.

Using its emergency mobilization plan, and following a request made through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), the OSFM has activated its Agency Operations Center and is sending the 15 strike teams today with equipment and personnel to join firefighting efforts. Teams will be arriving at staging areas by the end of day today.

The mobilized strike teams, comprising nearly 300 personnel total, will be sent from the following counties: Klamath, Douglas, Yamhill, Linn, Columbia, Clatsop, Benton, Multnomah, Marion, Washington, Clackamas, Lincoln, Jackson, Josephine, and Lane Counties.

“The Oregon Fire Service is ready to provide assistance to California,” said Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “The Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS) is robust and prepared to respond quickly when these formal requests are received.”

California made the request through the EMAC, a national state-to-state mutual aid system. The EMAC request is sent directly to the Oregon Office of Emergency Management. The requests allow for the OSFM to mobilize resources through the OFMAS. The teams are comprised of Oregon’s structural firefighting agencies, which provide structural firefighting and all-hazards assistance.

Oregon’s structural firefighters mobilized by the OSFM were last sent to California to respond to the Camp Fire in Paradise in November 2018.

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10/28/2019

Lane County Task Forces have departed from Cottage Grove, Oregon earlier this morning to assist with the Wildfires in Northern California. We wish them safe travels and Godspeed a safe return home after their assignment.

10/15/2019

Breaking News: 911 phone service is effecting a portion of Lane and possibly Douglas Counties in Oregon, including non emergency lines. Updates are postwd below.

09/06/2019

We're getting some news that some fire starts likely caused by lightning storms that have set off some new lightning-caused fires in the Upper McKenzie in the Willamette National.

Thanks to the McKenzie Fire District for posting this heads up on these new smokers - be safe out there folks!

As of 8:00pm, approximately 40 new lightning caused fires have been reported on the Forest. Firefighting resources are being prioritized and assigned to fires that pose the greatest potential for fire spread or pose risk to important values such as recreation areas and being in proximity to private lands. All new fires are estimated to be one acre or less in size.

08/06/2019

07/28/2019

07/28/2019

Continuing coverage of the Douglas County, Oregon MP97 Fire in Canyonville, Oregon.

07/24/2019

It is with great sadness that the Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office shares the tragic death of one of our own. Deputy Chris Jones, a twelve year veteran of our office, was killed in an off duty motorcycle crash yesterday evening in Wheeler County.

Sheriff L. Shane Nelson said today, “Chris was a kind man with a positive attitude. He will be missed by our office and our community. My thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends, and teammates.”

We have lost a coworker, a friend, a loved one, and a brother. Our thoughts are with Chris’ family during this extremely difficult time.

The Deschutes County Sheriff Employee’s Association (DCSEA) has established a GoFund Me page to support his family in the coming weeks. The page can be found here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/jones-family-benevolant-fund?utm_source=customer&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=p_cp+share-sheet

Additional details will be released as they are made available to us by his family.

07/17/2019

It's been a while since I posted some fire department related stories from this part of the country. Elkhart is about ready to get a new ladder truck soon.

It'll be a big purchase for the Elkhart Fire Department. The city council has agreed to spend $1. 3 million on a new truck. It will replace an aerial fire truck built back in 1992 that has frequently been in the shop for repairs. Firefighters need to be able to rely on that aerial truck if they're c...

06/18/2019

Whoever is responsible for this insane vandalism in Coos County, Oregon, will be paying a very hefty price to pay for the damages and the endangerment of those in Public Safety and beyond...!

06/11/2019

With the weather getting hotter in the Willamette Valley and elsewhere in Oregon, let's be extremely careful out there this Summer folks. With things getting extremely dry as they are now, the fire danger can climb to dangerous levels if folks aren't careful. So, let's be safe out there!

04/30/2019

This may not be fire-related, but it but it's worth the trip to share on his smart move cuteness of this little guy in the SF Bay area!

A baby sea lion wandered onto a busy highway in South San Francisco Tuesday, stopping vehicles and alarming motorists before officials whisked it away.