MEDFORD, Ore. — United States Representative Greg Walden (R – Oregon) met with the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry and elected officials Wednesday afternoon to discuss fire preparedness.
ODF said out of all ODF-protected land, one-third of the fires happen in southwest Oregon’s district.
Rep. Walden said fighting fire is tough enough, adding COVID-19 creates an unprecedented challenge. Fire agencies said their plan is to do aggressive initial attacks to keep fires small and to prevent large groups from having to come together.
“We’ve got to make sure they’ve got the assets available to accomplish that mission,” Rep. Walden said, “and that they have what they need to do the testing in these fire camps, in case they begin to see a spread.”
Secretary of the Interior David Bernhardt will join the congressman in the Klamath Basin on Thursday.
Nicole Costantino is a reporter and weather forecaster for NBC5 News. She comes to us from Phoenix, Arizona where she graduated from Arizona State University’s Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. She also received a minor in Meteorology.
Before coming to NBC5 News Nicole was an anchor, weather forecaster and reporter at KAET in Phoenix, AZ. In college, she interned for CBS Evening News in New York City and the NBC4 Investigative Team in Los Angeles.
In her free time, you can find Nicole cheering on her Sun Devils and exploring the Pacific Northwest. Feel free to send story ideas and chocolate chip cookie recipes to her on Facebook (@NicoleCostantino) or Twitter (@NicCostantino).
