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     Media Alert September 15, 2016   Contacts:  Heather Cassaro, City of Redmond Communications Manager, 541-504-3031                    Kassidy Kern, Deschutes National Forest Public Affairs, 541-383-5517  On Monday, September 19, 2016 the City of Redmond, the U.S. Forest Service, the Bureau of Land Management and the Oregon Department of Forestry will host a ground-breaking ceremony for the new Central Oregon Interagency Dispatch Center (COIDC)...

Pictured:  Tom Imeson (Oregon Board of Forestry Chair), Peter Daugherty (new Oregon State Forester), Doug Decker (retiring Oregon State Forester) Contact: Ken Armstrong, Salem, ken.w.armstrong@oregon.gov, 503-945-7420 SALEM – The Oregon Board of Forestry today unanimously selected Peter Daugherty as the next State Forester, concluding a process that began in early May when current State Forester Doug Decker announced plans to retire in October at the end of the current fire season. The Board announced the selection following an executive session to discuss the...

It’s unusual for evergreen trees to turn color in August, or any time of year for that matter, but that’s what we are experiencing in parts of Wasco County. Over the past three years much of Oregon has experienced abnormal levels of water stress and higher than average temperatures.  This has resulted in greater tree stress and weaker defensive mechanisms to resist bark beetles.  While tree mortality from bark beetles is not uncommon, the number of trees dying is above average for this area.  The Oregon Department of Forestry recently conducted an...

Central Oregon – In the past month, Central Oregon has had numerous human caused fires. Now, Oregon State Police along with the U.S. Forest Service, U.S. Forest Service Law Enforcement, Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry and Deschutes County Sheriff’s Office believe that several of those fires were intentionally started. Specific details will not be released while investigations are ongoing. While an investigation by all cooperating agencies is in progress, we would like to urge the public to report suspicious activity on public lands by calling...

This morning MH-4 in The Dalles Unit moves to IFPL 3. A level 3 will mainly affect: -Hot saws are shut down at 1pm and must have an area observer and additional equipment and/or water close by.  If using a hot saw please read the attached document (Hot saw req.pdf) AND call me to discuss.  Our agency has discussed the idea of restricting hot saws altogether during a level 3, however we have decided that IF the precautions outlined in the attachment are followed closely we can prevent most fire starts; or in the event of a fire, the operator will have the...

August 10, 2016 Contact: Alison Green, Program Director    Project Wildfire, FireFree    541-419-1116Deschutes County’s residents in the wildland urban interface (WUI) have been embracing their responsibility of living with wildfire for almost two decades. Now not only is Deschutes County proudly the home to the very first Firewise Community in the state but also to the 100th Firewise Community. Fall River Estates south of Sunriver was the very first Firewise Community in Oregon and Deschutes County twelve years ago. Squaw Creek Canyon...

Crews made significant progress today on the Neal Creek Fire, improving the fireline and mopping-up the interior of the fire.  While the fire is producing a light haze in the area, fire behavior is significantly reduced due to today’s suppression activities.  David Jacobs, The Dalles Unit Forester, describes the fire as “Looking real good.  Today went just like the plan.”  The “plan” included getting hose lines all around the fire and plumbing in to the creek at the bottom of the hill, for a continuous water source.  Firefighters were able to...

The National Weather Service has issued a Red Flag Warning for most of the Central Oregon District for scattered thunderstorms producing dry lightning and gusty winds starting later this afternoon.  Warm temperatures over the last few weeks have dried fuels and driven ERC (measurement related to how well fuels will burn based on moisture content) to Extreme levels. In preparation for this event the District is bringing in a strike team of engines (five engines and a strike team leader) from western Oregon to work with local District resources.  These...

[The Dalles, Ore.]  The Neal Creek Fire was reported around 4:00 PM August 4, burning in dense second growth Douglas-fir on steep terrain approximately eight miles south of Hood River.  The fire is burning on private land protected by ODF’s The Dalles Unit.  SEAT’s and heavy air tankers were used late into the evening to check the spread of the fire and allow firefighters on the ground to flank the fire.  Overnight fire crews were able to establish a handline around the perimeter of the fire.  Today firefighters will strengthen containment...

More info on the Neal Creek Fire located 8 miles south of Hood River will be updated here.  Contact Christie Shaw Central Oregon District Public Information Officer for more info.  541-263-0661 Updated 8:45 PM The Neal Creek Fire was reported earlier this evening burning in dense second growth Douglas-fir on steep terrain approximately eight miles south of Hood River, Oregon in ODF’s The Dalles Unit.  The fire is estimated to be approximately 15 acres.  Resources on scene include ten fire engines from ODF, BLM and USFS and additional engines from...

[Central Oregon]  So far this year fires caused by lightning are significantly less than the ten year average in central Oregon.  After the last three challenging fire seasons which started early in the summer firefighters should feel relief, except human caused fires are on the rise both on ODF protected lands and on lands protected by our partners such as USFS, BLM and Rural Fire Districts.  August is typically the busiest part of fire season in Oregon and heading into the first weekend the forecast includes lightning.  Along with that forecast...

Click Map for Statewide Current Fire Restrictions STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL 3 CLOSEDOWN ORDER Number 03 Effective 12:01 a.m., PDT, July 29, 2016 By virtue of the authority vested in me by ORS 477.625, ORS 477.670, and OAR 629-043-0070, I hereby issue notice the following subject area is susceptible to damage by fire and proclaim Industrial Fire Precaution Level 3 to be in effect: All lands protected by the Central Oregon Forest Protection District, in regulated use area MH-1 and all forestland within one-eighth mile...

Click map for statewide map of current fire restrictions. STATE OF OREGON DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY INDUSTRIAL FIRE PRECAUTION LEVEL 2 CLOSEDOWN ORDER  Number 02   Effective 10:00 a.m., PDT, July 25, 2016 By virtue of the authority vested in me by ORS 477.625, ORS 477.670, and OAR 629-043-0070, I hereby issue notice the following subject area is susceptible to damage by fire and proclaim Industrial Fire Precaution Level 2 to be in effect: All lands protected by the Central Oregon Forest Protection District, in regulated use areas MH-1 and MH-4 and all...

[The Dalles Unit, Central Oregon District] - The Wassen Pond Fire was reported at about 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 3, burning four miles west of The Dalles on lands protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry and Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue. The fire remains at 300 acres this morning (about 30 acres on ODF jurisdiction) and is 75 percent contained. Line construction will continue today to fully contain the fire. The fire is under Unified Command between ODF and MCFR. Cause remains under investigation.