August continues fire weather trend

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

A couple of days of cooler weather early in the week of July 28-Aug. 2 brought a temporary reprieve to firefighters battling fires across the Pacific Northwest, but the Forest Service warned that wildfire conditions “are set to come roaring back” as the region heads into another heat wave.

“August is showing us nothing but hot, dry, windy conditions and dry lightning all in the first week,” Ed Hiatt, Pacific Northwest Assistant Fire Director for Operations, said in a press release. “Exhausted crews finally caught a much-needed weather break, but this wildfire year is going to get worse before it gets better.”

In Grand Ronde, firefighters from the Tribe have been deployed to seven fires outside the area so far this year, with another deployment scheduled for Aug. 2, based on the weather forecast for Central Oregon, according to Tribal Emergency Services Lieutenant and Public Information Officer Mariah Walters.

On Aug. 5, Governor Tina Kotek invoked the state’s Emergency Conflagration Act for the Elk Lane fire in Jefferson County, which has spread to some 5,000 acres after a lightning storm the first weekend in August set it off, along with several other fires.

Across the state, according to the Oregon Department of Forestry, 33 fires were burning in Oregon, and 1.38 million acres have burned so far this year. More than 80% of the fires have been caused by people, the department said.  

The Oregonian newspaper reported on Aug. 7 that there were five megafires burning in the state, defined as fires larger than 100,000 acres.

Grand Ronde Natural Resources Department Manager Colby Drake said that the Fire Protection Program hires between 30 to 40 seasonal employees who help fill fire crews and engines during fire season.

“During times like now, when we are in a national preparedness level five (the highest), we try to make sure our resources (engines and hand crew) are available for national dispatch to assist with project fires across the country,” he said.

At the same time, Drake said, “Locally, we will conduct daily and weekend fire patrols with our engines depending on the weather and fire indices which include fuel moisture levels and humidity recoveries across the area.”

For efficiency, the department coordinates daily with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Dallas office on resource availability and patrols.

“ODF sets the industrial fire precaution levels related to forestry practices on the Reservation and our forested lands, which NRD staff will help enforce,” he said.

The Tribe also has a mobilization plan in place for extreme fire weather and red flag warnings, such as shutting down all forest operations when relative humidities dip below 30%.

“Our fire protection staff also coordinate with the fire department staff on resources and patrols to make sure we have good coverage of the area,” Drake said. “Typically, the duty officer will make sure staff are available for local response as needed and will keep other NRD staff informed of fire related information.”

The department backfills the positions of deployed firefighters to ensure there’s still coverage at home, Walters said.

 “This coverage often means that our staff (are) working overtime (more than the 48 consecutive hours they normally work),” she said. “During these periods we ensure the crews have as much rest time as calls allow, crews stay hydrated, and we restore apparatus immediately when returning from calls or deployments to ensure they are ready for the next need.”

Pre-fire season preparedness includes vehicle and tool maintenance, training to ensure staff are well-versed in wildland firefighting skills and increasing staff levels during the weekend when administrative staff are not on duty.

“Another huge portion of our preparation includes public education about prevention and mitigation,” Walters said. “We encourage people to keep defensible space around their homes, be vigilant about vehicle maintenance and limiting (if not eliminating) the use of spark emitting devices.”

Defensible space means having an area around the home that is clear of fire hazards such as bark mulch, fir needles, deadwood and other debris. It entails keeping gutters, decks and fences clean so that flammable items like dried leaves and fir needles don’t build up, storing barbecue tanks at least 30 feet away from the house and keeping driveways clear for first responders.

More information is available by calling Tribal Resiliency Officer Kaylene Barry at 503-879-1701.