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QuickTake:
Eugene Springfield Fire, Lane Fire Authority, and other local agencies have sent staff and equipment to two large wildfires in the Columbia Gorge and Central Oregon that destroyed homes and prompted evacuations.
Task forces from Lane County are already on the front lines of early-season wildfires, devastating blazes that broke out a week before the official start of summer.
As of Wednesday, the Rowena Fire in the Columbia Gorge, which started June 11 about 3 miles northwest of The Dalles, has burned 3,346 acres and destroyed 56 homes; the Alder Springs Fire in central Oregon, which started June 16 between the cities of Bend and Madras, has burned 2,500 acres.
Gov. Tina Kotek invoked the Emergency Conflagration Act for both fires. This happens when threats to life, safety, and property exceed the capabilities of local firefighting agencies. It allows the Oregon State Fire Marshal to mobilize a statewide mutual aid system.
As part of that mobilization, two task forces were deployed using Lane County resources. In total, six personnel from various departments responded.
The first task force, sent to the Rowena Fire, included firefighters and equipment from Eugene Springfield Fire, Lane Fire Authority, Mohawk Valley Fire, McKenzie Fire, Pleasant Hill-Goshen, and Coburg. Staff within this task force returned June 15.
A second team with similar staffing and resources was sent to the Alder Springs Fire.
Local agencies are paid for their support under the mutual aid system, said Eugene Springfield Fire Chief Mike Caven. But while some of his staff were assisting, a string of fires in Eugene and Springfield kept the remaining crews busy Monday. Caven said local teams were able to prioritize calls and contain brush fires before they spread or threatened homes.
It’s not uncommon to see frequent brush fires when the season begins, but it is unusual for them to start this early — especially with multiple conflagrations throughout the state. While Caven has seen fire seasons grow longer in recent years, the pace and intensity this early in the summer still stands out.
“We are not really into the heat of the fire season, it just began,” he said. “Lane County just sent its second task force to a second conflagration in a week. In June. That doesn’t happen.”
