All Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) fire districts officially entered
wildfire season on July 11. Drier, hotter conditions have set in on the
Mountain and throughout the state after a cool, wet spring. The risk of
human-caused and naturally occurring blazes continues to increase as grass,
scrubs and other underbrush that flourished during the wet season dries and
becomes an abundant fuel source waiting for a spark.

The Hoodland Fire District (HFD) received a $35,000 grant from the Office of
the State Fire Marshall (OSFM) to fund additional staffing for the 2022 fire
season.

“With the additional staffing we have a better chance to catch a fire while it’s
small before it has a chance to escalate,” Hoodland Fire Chief Jim Price said.
The OSFM Response Ready Oregon Initiative allows districts to expand staffing
capacity using their current staffing model and pay scale. The OSFM made an
initial investment of $4 million to fund the 2022 Wildfire Season Staffing Grant

program. The OSFM defines fire season as spanning from June 1 to Oct. 31 for
the purpose of the grant. All grant funds must be utilized by Oct. 31.
Chief Price stated that HFD will utilize existing personnel to increase staffing
for the months of August and September, including career staff working
overtime, volunteer firefighters and with a volunteer firefighter continuing to
fill a temporary role due to a vacancy in the career staff. The additional staff
will generally be on from noon until 8 p.m. when higher temperatures, lower
humidity and potential winds increase the likelihood of a fire.

The fire risk on the mountain was moderate at the end of July according to
the ODF.

“The great thing about the high precipitation earlier in the year is it pushes
fire season back. The bad thing is the fuels grow as a result,” Chief Price said.
Triple digit temperatures will continue to dry fuels throughout the region at
the beginning of August.

The district continues to perform wildland fire risk assessments in Government
Camp in a preventative measure. Other preparation for fire season includes
making sure all equipment is serviced and ready, monitoring the severity of
conditions in the region and tracking ODF guidelines regarding fire hazard.
Citizens are reminded to be aware of ODF restrictions and monitor for
changing conditions.

More information about wildfire preparation and prevention is available on the
HFD website at www.hoodlandfire.us.

Additional information about the Response Ready Oregon grant is available at
https://www.oregon.gov/osp/programs/sfm/Pages/OSFM-Grants.aspx.