News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
News and Opinion from Sisters, Oregon
For years people forced to work or attend school at the dilapidated middle school on Locust Street in Sisters have thought, "They oughta burn that thing."
Next month, they will.
Sisters-Camp Sherman Rural Fire Protection District will invite fire departments from all over Central Oregon to join them in a "burn-to-learn" exercise that will provide invaluable real-life firefighting experience while getting rid of the former middle school building to make way for a new library and city hall.
The exercise is currently scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, February 7-8.
According to Sisters' new Fire Chief, Taylor Robertson, not all of the facility will be consumed.
Robertson told the Sisters School Board on Monday, January 12, that for safety reasons firefighters will not burn the gym.
Robertson said work crews would create a corridor between the classroom area and the gym to isolate the burning area.
The historic old administration building at the south end of the property will be protected during the burning exercise.
Robertson described the burn-to-learn set-up as "the best I've ever seen." The site is fenced off and secure and is not in close proximity to other buildings.
The building will also offer opportunities to drill on rescue ventilation techniques.
In fact, Robertson told the board, a considerable amount of training will take place before a fire is lit.
The school district will benefit, too, saving an estimated $10,000 in demolition costs.
Once the building is torched off, it won't all go up at once.
Robertson explained that fire commanders would set fires, send crews in to extinguish them, then start another rotation, giving a large number of firefighters a chance to train against live fire.
The exercise will be set up with an incident command structure controlling the action.
The school district will have already had hazardous materials including asbestos removed prior to the exercise.
Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.
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