Firefighting resources moved to Central Oregon in face of thunderstorms

With lightning in the forecast and several parts of the state under a Red Flag Warning or a Fire Weather Watch, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal have staged firefighting resources in Central Oregon.

This is a proactive move for the region to be better prepared and bolster any initial fire attack. These firefighters are not being assigned to a specific incident but will be an added resource and increase the state’s readiness if there is a fire.

Two firefighting task forces, one from Marion County and one from Washington County, will be stationed in Central Oregon, ready to respond and help local resources in the event a wildfire erupts and threatens structures. These teams will be prepositioned for 72 hours (starting Monday night) but may stay longer if they are needed.

“We know the conditions across the state are dry, and with thunderstorms in the forecast, even the smallest spark could trigger a wildfire, that is why we are prepositioning these resources,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “We can’t control the weather, but we can plan for what we can control, and that is strategically placing resources ahead of this weather event.”

At this time, the Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office is not deploying any of its Incident Management Teams, but they are ready in the event they need to be activated and deployed.

The OSFM encourages all Oregonians to be aware of the dry conditions and take the necessary precautions to avoid sparking a fire.