• Abstract and Figures
• Public Full-text

SOUTHWEST APRIL 12 OREGON COMPANY NAME Authored by: Your Name DISTRICT ANNUAL REPORT 2020 M E S S A G E F R O M T H E D I S T R I C T F O R E S T E R Without a doubt, 2020 will go down in the history books as one of the most difficult and challenging years for Southwest Oregon District and the entire Oregon Department of Forestry. Right at the beginning of 2020, we were faced with addressing a global pandemic: COVID-19. This was uncharted territory for us all and required a coordinated and strategic response from everyone. Plans were developed to reduce exposure and transmission; offices were closed to the public and the means of how we deliver training were altered. I can say that these preparations paid off and were paramount to our successes, as we did Dave Larson not experience an outbreak of COVID-19 on a SWO incident. “I am so proud of the men and women who work for this district, who, no matter how difficult the situation, rose to the challenge.” As if dealing with a pandemic was not enough, the unseasonably dry and warm fall and winter brought about severe drought conditions. By the middle of April, the district was already experiencing fuels conditions that we would typically experience mid-July. The first significant fire of the year started on April 20; the Shangrila Lane Fire burned nearly 20 acres and required the assistance of multiple helicopters to suppress it. Because folks were staying home due to COVID, we saw an increase in escaped debris burns that necessitated the district to implement fire season on May 1. This was the earliest start to fire season since 1988. Weather conditions did moderate some during the first part of June, which allowed for us to focus on training and prevention. The Shangrila Lane Fire Training was much different due to the COVID protocols and generated a large amount of media and public interest. SWO District, in coordination with ODF Salem Public Affairs, used this as an opportunity to educate the public about fire prevention and how we prepare for fire season. Oregon Public Broadcasting did a feature story that showcased our training efforts and how we as an agency focused on mitigating the risk of COVID-19 for the fire season. 1 The remainder of June and most of July was uneventful, more typical of a “average” fire season for SWO. However, the weather was hot and dry, and the last measurable rain fell on the district on June 19. We would not see any rain for the next 113 days! On July 30, the Worthington Fire started just east of Eagle Point. Fortunately, at the time of this fire, resources were plentiful across Oregon, and we were able to quickly contain the fire at 761 acres by the next morning. We entered August under “extreme” fire danger, and throughout the month, experienced increasing initial attack. I/A was very effective with 45 fires and only 9.81 acres burned during this time. Visibility at times was limited, creating challenges for our camera detection due to the smoke that was blowing into the Rogue Valley from the California wildfires. Going into September, the fire season was shaping up to The Worthington Fire be below average- but that was about to change. We started to see indications of a significant weather pattern shaping up as we went into the Labor Day weekend. Weather forecast models were beginning to show the development of a sustained east wind event at a severity only seen once every 20-30 years. In anticipation of the event, days off were canceled, additional outside district resources were prepositioned and fire managers across all agencies were communicating multiple times daily. On the Friday before Labor Day, the Grizzly Creek Fire was reported just east of Howard Prairie Lake and under the extreme conditions, the fire was rapidly developing into a potential project fire. The district immediately responded with a coordinated and aggressive attack of the fire. By early the next morning, it had been stopped at under 350 acres. With the east winds coming, our plan was to dig in and secure as much fire line as possible. Tanker 60 drops retardant on the Almeda Fire 2 In the early morning hours of September 8, the dry east winds arrived. By 1 a.m., the humidity had fallen to 12% in Medford, winds were sustained at 25 miles per hour and would increase to 45 miles per hour by 10 a.m. The district was busy with initial attack all morning and was keeping up containing the new starts. Shortly after 11 a.m., the Almeda Fire was reported and ODF responded with a full response, assisting the local fire departments. Under these conditions, the fire quickly grew and began to advance on the towns of Talent and Phoenix. Later in the afternoon, the South Obenchain Fire was reported, and quickly exploded to 1,000 acres in the first 15 minutes. A request was made to order an Incident Management Team for this fire, but we knew that the district would be on its own for the next 48-72 hours. Firefighting resources were in extremely short supply due to a multitude of fires from Washington to California. Almost the entire west side of Oregon was experiencing massive wildfires. As the day wore on, another fire approached the District form California. The Slater Fire was rapidly burning into Oregon and was threatening the entire Illinois Valley. By nightfall on September 8, SWO was dealing with four project fires that were threatening nine different communities across the district. Firefighting The South Obenchain Fire resources were mobilized in coordination with the Rogue Valley Fire Chiefs, U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and ODF. It would take almost two weeks to bring the blazes under control and the fall rains to finally suppress the fires. Looking back, for those who lived through the 2020 fire season, it will forever be ingrained in their memories. I am so proud of the men and women who work for this district, who, no matter how difficult the situation, rose to the challenge. Throughout this chaotic time, there were no accidents or injuries to our staff. Their training, leadership, dedication and hard work was exemplified during the 2020 fire season. For that, I will be forever grateful. Thank you for your continued support, Dave Larson District Forester 3 2 0 2 0 F I R E S E A S O N R E V I E W The 2020 Fire Season in Oregon proved to be the most destructive in recent history, claiming thousands of homes in the Labor Day fires that affected the entire state. In the Southwest Oregon District, the Almeda, South Obenchain and Slater Fires all started on September 8, stretching resources thin on both units. As the third longest fire season recorded on the district, our crews responded to 221 fires in 190 days, with 40,494 acres burned. Despite these heavy statistics, 97.3% of fires on the district were caught at 10 acres or less. A lack of rain combined with warmer temperatures in the spring prompted an earlier start to fires on the landscape; SWO firefighters responded to 57 fires from mid-February to late April. The first notable fire was the Shangrila Lane Fire on April 21; due to gusty winds, it grew to 18 acres on private land. Light rain in the forecast assisted crews in a quick mop-up, but it became clear conditions were rapidly shifting, as the long-range forecast called for above average temperatures, below average precipitation with extreme drought-like conditions. Following a multitude of escaped debris burn piles, the 2020 fire season was declared on May 1, a month early from the typical June 1 start on the Southwest Oregon District. This presented the district with an added challenge; public use restrictions were in place, and seasonal staff had not yet been hired. As a result, both unit brush crews were pulled off projects and assigned engines. In “low” fire danger, the call volume was manageable for a few weeks as seasonal firefighters were brought on. On the Medford unit, fire school began on May 26 and extended Fire School at the Medford Unit into early June with socially distant lessons outside, while the Grants Pass unit condensed the material into a week-long course to mitigate COVID-19 risks. Triple digit temperatures at the end of June prompted an increase into “moderate” fire danger. Call volume also began to surge at that time; from the beginning of June through mid-July, SWO firefighters stopped more than 50 fires at an acre or less. On July 17, the fire danger level was raised to “high,” and two days later, the Memorial Fire was reported in the hills east of Ashland. It rapidly grew to 61 acres; however, crews were able to halt its progress within two hours. A week and a half later, the Worthington Fire northeast of Eagle Point was sparked by lightning. With a red flag warning in effect, the fire was fueled by windy conditions and triple-digit temperatures, growing to more than 150 acres within the first two hours, and reaching 600 acres by the next morning. At that time, the district kicked into “extreme” fire danger. By utilizing aggressive tactics, local ODF, BLM and contracted resources were able to contain the Worthington Fire within two weeks at 761 acres.

Load more

  22

Copy Link