Brookings, Ore.- Several families at the Chetco Bar Fire lines voice concern to NBC5 News about the way in which the Forest Service has handled the fire.
They say the Forest Service didn’t take action quick enough. They also feel forgotten and some are considering taking legal action.
NBC5 News spoke with the Forest Service today. They told NBC5 News that a fire like the Chetco Bar Fire is incredibly complex.
They have many different moving parts to consider. And in an area like the parts of the forest where the Chetco Bar Fire is burning, the fire actually helps the forest to thrive.
When it comes to fighting the fire they do have an order in which they prioritize their course of action.
Randal Raische of the Forest Service says,”Firefighter safety is the priority when we think about firefighting and suppression efforts. Public safety is right up there with the firefighters as well. And then property. Nothing trumps the safety of our firefighters and the public.”
Raische went on to say that if people want to take issue with the way the Chetco Bar Fire has been handled they have to remember that there are multiple agencies involved in the fight aside from the Forest Service that include the Oregon State Incident Management Team, the Brookings Fire Department, and the Oregon Department of Forestry.
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