Fire burns ODF Klamath-Lake District building
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An early morning fire destroys the Oregon Department of Forestry’s cache building on the Klamath-Lake District compound in Klamath Falls. (Submitted photo)
The following is a press release from the Oregon Department of Forestry, Klamath-Lake District.
KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Early this morning the fire cache building at the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Klamath-Lake District compound in Klamath Falls was destroyed in a structure fire.
The fire was reported at approximately 3:47 AM Fire engines from Klamath County Fire District 4 were dispatched and arrived on the scene by 4:00 AM Firefighting resources from Kingsley Fire, Keno Fire Department, and Klamath County Fire District 1 assisted with the fire. Local law enforcement assisted with the incident as well.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal’s office is currently investigating the cause of the fire.
“We are grateful to the firefighters and leadership from Klamath County Fire District 4 for their rapid response to the fire on our compound, as well as the support from Kingsley Fire, the Keno Fire Department, and Klamath County Fire District 1 in fighting the fire,” said Randall Baley, Protection Unit Forester for ODF Klamath-Lake District. “Their work prevented the fire from spreading to other structures, including the main office.”
The main ODF office basement is flooded as a result of firefighting efforts on the fire cache building. ODF officials are still assessing, but there does not appear to be any other damages to the main office.
The fire cache contained firefighting equipment, including hoses, gloves, tools, clothing, and other items that support wildland firefighting, as well as fire prevention and community outreach items.
Despite this loss, ODF resources will still be prepared to respond thanks to strong local fire management relationships.
ODF is among the five agencies of the South Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP). The other agencies are stepping in to provide resources and support for ODF.
“We are prepared to support our partners at ODF with whatever supplies they need to continue to operate this fire season,” said Interagency Fire Management Officer Jeb Koons. “It’s a huge hit for any firefighting organization to lose their cache, even more so in the midst of fire season, and we are here to help with whatever they need to get through as they assess and rebuild.”
The newly constructed ODF Fire Cache building, dated 1946. (Submitted photo)
ODF firefighting crews are remaining resilient despite the loss of the fire cache building and its contents. They were back out on patrol and fire-ready this morning and are prepared to respond to any new starts.
“Our firefighters have done a great job putting this in perspective and continuing to work on wildfire response and patrol, serving our local communities even with this loss,” Baley said.