Oregon Department of Forestry Holds Annual Burn Boss Training to Prepare for Fire Season

Lina Portman2 days ago

0 2 minutes read

PORTLAND Oregon (KPTV) – It's only the first week of July and fire season is already well underway in the Pacific Northwest.

The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) held its annual fire chief training Tuesday with local employees and firefighters to ensure air and ground resources are prepared for the days ahead.

Ground crews comprised of ODF personnel and the Hillsboro and Clackamas fire departments had the opportunity to practice communicating with aircraft about exactly where to drop water on the fires.

A pair of Air Tractor 802s, normally used for agricultural purposes, flew over Hagg Lake to demonstrate how to scoop up hundreds of gallons of water, typically about 600 gallons for each plane.

SEE ALSO:

Fires are permitted in certain circumstances but with restrictions.

“More than ever in my career, the wildfire environment is changing,” said Wally Waible, a longtime ODF employee who participated in the training.

“We need a variety of resources and aviation is becoming increasingly important in our work… we are here to learn how to organize parachute drops and how to communicate with them in the best possible way,” he said. “We have to put ourselves in their shoes and try to describe the situation to them in the best possible way so that they understand what we want.”

Pilot Aaron Vince said it was a satisfying feeling to drop water exactly where ground crews hoped. But sometimes it's hard to communicate.

“Sometimes you have to interpret what they're saying as, 'I think he really wants this,' and you're going to give him one and see if you're on the same page,” he said.

SEE ALSO:

As temperatures continue to rise, so does the risk of children falling out of open windows in the home.

Several factors make the task of these teams more difficult each year.

“The increase in fires and the decrease in personnel,” Vince said. “It’s very difficult to find pilots right now and I understand it’s the same for ground resources.”

“With record temperatures in early July, things are only going to get worse, and as we move into the summer, things are going to get hot and dry and the fire risk is going to continue to increase,” said Neal Laugle, state aviation director for the Oregon Department of Forestry.

ODF staff said they don't expect this fire season to be worse than previous years, but they know the flames are unpredictable.

“My boss always says, ‘Ask me in October and I’ll tell you how the fire season went,’” Waible said.