SALEM — To boost capacity ahead of forecasted east winds and heightened wildfire conditions, the Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal has requested three Washington task forces from Snohomish, King, Pierce, Kitsap, Chelan and Clark counties through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.

The State Fire Marshal said in a press release on Thursday, Sept. 8, that one Washington task force will be assigned to the Double Creek Fire in Wallowa County, while two task forces will be pre-positioned in Wasco and Lane counties. The added resources will give the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System added capacity to respond quickly should and give support should a fire happen.

“We want to thank the Oregon fire service and our partners from Washington for their dedication to protecting Oregon communities,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a press release. “This extra capacity will allow our office to be nimble and help local fire agencies during this critical point in the fire season. We ask those who live in Oregon and those visiting to be aware of the dry conditions and take the necessary steps to prevent sparking a wildfire.” 

Currently, the OSFM has an incident management team and 11 task forces assigned to the Double Creek and Sturgill fires in Wallowa County. Two strike teams were mobilized on Sept. 7 to support the Van Meter Fire in Klamath County.