Many wildfire battles in Klamath and Lake counties are fought from the Klamath Falls Interagency fire center…
“Gathering weather intel, tracking resources, and we have folks assigned to supporting the Lakeview side.” Notes Fire Dispatcher Riley Spivey. “The aircraft, and crew resources.”
Dispatchers are currently tracking over two dozen fires sparked by lightning late last week…and Oregon Department of Forestry Dispatch Coordinator Jake Barnett reports that two more fires were reported Sunday near Bly…
“One was called the ‘Tiny Two’ fire, I’m not sure the acreage on that – last report was right around 200 acres. And the other was was the ‘Ferguson’ fire, I think they caught that at around 15.”
The air tanker base next to dispatch has been busy, pumping out about a dozen loads of fire retardant over the weekend.
Spivey notes that much of the smoke in Klamath Falls is coming from fires outside of Klamath County…
“Most of the smoke that we’re seeing is coming from west of the Cascades, the Medford, Roseburg area – Grants Pass as well.”
“Visibility wise, it’s been pretty bad.” Adds Jake Barnett. “Depending on the instability, and how it’s laying down on us.”
Spivey notes that while it’s relatively quiet at dispatch right now…
“We still have several months of peak fire season ahead of us.”
But the dispatchers say they’re ready.
This is the last fire season the Klamath Falls Interagency Fire Center will be open.
Dispatch operations for Klamath and Lake counties will be based in Lakeview next year.
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