MEDFORD, ORE. — Extreme heat and fast moving winds helping fuel f several raging wildfires in Central and Eastern Oregon.
At least 26 homes were lost in the Canyon Creek complex fire near John Day over the weekend, hundreds more are still threatened.
“We personally have 6 people from Medford Fire and Rescue up there with additional resources from the Rogue Valley that are part of that team,” saidMedford Fire Chief Brian Fish.
Fish says this is the first time in more than 10 years a local task force, made up of crew members from almost every local fire agency, has been called to help contain a wildfire out of the area.
“Typically, we don’t send people out of the Rogue Valley its one of the hot spots in the state for risk of Wildland fire, but right now the state has been a record task force deployments this year and they are scrambling for resources.”
“The state marshal’s office has assured us that we may be one of the first unit’s de-mobilized,”saidJackson County Fire District 3 Chief Dan Petersen says the district sent 2 brush rigs with the task force but says should a fire break out at home, they’re prepared.
“When it’s hot, when it’s dry, when there’s a lot of potential, people come back from their day off and come and work at least during the heat of the day,” explained Petersen.
An interagency agreement between fires departments in Jackson and Josephine county also provides relief… should backup be needed.
Task force crews are typically gone for about a week’s timeand could be gone for at least 14 days.
Weather depending, some of those local fire crews could return as early as Tuesday.
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