Merv George Jr. is a Deputy Regional Forester for the U.S. Forest Service serving the Pacific Northwest.
Tiffany Eckert / KLCC
At an “end-of-season” briefing in Springfield Wednesday, federal and state firefighters gave U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden and U.S. Rep. Val Hoyle an update on where fire season actually stands in the region.
U.S. Forest Service Deputy Regional Forester Merv George Jr. said right now, in the middle of October, there are still fires in Oregon: a total of 12 active incidents with 1,700 firefighters working them.
“Make no mistake, fire season is still here,” he said. “And we are waiting for season-ending weather to come and put our fire season to bed.”
In his over three decades in natural resource management, George said this has been one of the wildest and most unpredictable fire seasons he’s ever seen. He said more than 2 million acres have burned in the Pacific Northwest.
George added that having the ears of elected leaders is a good opportunity to share firefighters’ stories and request federal resources for suppression and preventative maintenance.
Firefighters continue their work of removing fuels and mopping up wherever possible Wednesday, Oct. 15, 2024, building containment lines above Cougar Ridge on the northwest area at the Rail Ridge Fire in the Ochoco National Forest.
Courtesy of Ira Hardy / US Forest Service
Following a meeting with firefighters, Wyden said there is still much to do to adequately support wildfire fighting and fire suppression efforts in Oregon. At the briefing held at Willamette National Forest Bureau of Land Management Interagency Office in Springfield, both lawmakers outlined some proposals to prevent and reduce the risk of fires in the future.
“At the top of our list will be more prescribed burns where you can go in there in the cooler weather months and reduce the huge debris buildup on the forest floor,” said Wyden. “And also, permanent increases in fire fighter pay so those salaries are competitive with the private sector.”
Hoyle said she agreed that prescribed burns are a crucial step in reducing fire starts and massive burns during fire season. She also spoke on the importance of supporting fire victims.
This story comes to you from the Northwest News Network, a collaboration between public media organizations in Oregon and Washington.