Medford, Ore — Touvelle State Park is off limits to the public tonight as the Oregon Department of Forestry sets up a command post to battle the Salt Creek Fire.
Paul Clements is the food unit manager for the Oregon Department of Forestry incident management team.
They’re setting up their command center at Touvelle State Park, where Clements is helping to feed and care for hundreds of firefighters battling the Salt Creek Fire near Shady Cove.
“Think of it as public works, or in the military we call it beans and bullets, what it takes to get the work done,” said Clements.
Sabrina Zmolke is one of those firefighters out there getting that work done.
This is her first year battling wildfires, her team is joining the efforts in Southern Oregon from Salem.
“We’re just a bunch of like-minded individuals who want to save the forest for future generations and fight wildfires,” said Zmolke.
Hundreds of fire fighters will call this park home for at least the next few days.
It’s Clement’s job to make camp feel something like home.
“Nutrition is a fundamental part of the health and safety of the people that are doing the work,” said Clements.
That means bringing in a shower truck, hand wash station, six pallets of water bottles and a 40-foot mobile kitchen.
“We’ll serve from 4:30 in the morning to about nine in the morning, and 4:30 in the evening to nine in the evening,” said Clements.
Clements and his crew are doing their part to ensure firefighters have everything they need as they face the flames.
The Oregon Department of Forestry says they currently have 150 firefighters at the camp and expect that number to double overnight.
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