The combination of hot weather and forecasted lightning in Southern Oregon prompted the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) to pre-position a structural task force of firefighters and equipment in Klamath County in late July.
The task force from Lane County is made up of 14 firefighters, four engines, and a water tender, arrived in Klamath County on Friday, July 29.
“Pre-positioning resources provides additional capacity through the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS) to areas of Oregon where fire activity could challenge local resources,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “Rising to the challenge of wildfires is a statewide effort through our response system, truly Oregonians helping Oregonians when they need it.”
On Saturday, the Lane County task force cross-trained with the U.S. Forest Service, practicing hose lays and home assessments in Klamath Falls. Training for real-world scenarios is key for these teams who may need to respond and work with each other and other agencies.
On Sunday, the task force was moved to Deschutes County because of the increased wildfire threat. Tuesday evening, the task force was assigned to the Miller Road Fire in Wasco County. The team was joined by five other Oregon task forces and Clackamas Co. Fire Dist. 1’s Crew 30.
Pre-positioning resources is just one of the tools the OSFM has as part of its Response Ready Oregon initiative. Pre-positioning is a proactive way to strategically place firefighting resources to keep fires small and away from communities. These resources will bolster any initial fire attack or respond quickly to other emerging incidents in the state.
