Klamath Falls News - Locally owned news brand, reporting stories affecting citizens of the Klamath Basin.
SALEM, Ore. - New rule changes aimed at providing regulatory certainty for harvesting timber and to better protect fish and wildlife will go into effect Jan. 1, 2024. The changes came about from legislationthat supported the landmark Private Forest Accord which was an agreement between the timber industry, small forest landowners, and conservation groups.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – Cooler temperatures, increased humidity, and recent storms are providing enough relief to allow further reduction in restrictions and fire danger in South-Central Oregon.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Firefighters continue mop-up operations as they achieve 27% containment and cool burnt areas 100 feet within the fire’s edge.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Klamath Community College has been a hive of wildland firefighter activity this week as it is serving as the operations staging grounds for fire crews battling the Golden Fire in eastern Klamath County, which started Saturday, July 22.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Overnight, firefighters caught and quelled fire activity within the fire’s perimeter along the southeast fireline. Due to warmer and drier weather, smoldering materials in the thick duff layers around trees store heat into the evenings and sometimes reignite. To mitigate this, firefighters use handheld and aerial heat-sensing infrared cameras to detect hot spots.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Crews have made significant progress on the Golden Fire. Containment has increased to 15% and the fire perimeter is now fully lined. Crews continued mop-up operations through the night and checked for hot spots.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Throughout the day, fire crews have been reinforcing fire lines and remove remaining hot spots along the fire’s edge. Tonight, several hundred locals attended a community meeting at Bonanza School. Tomorrow, crews will progress deeper into the burned area to cool down hot spots, so that heat that could threaten the security of the fire line is extinguished.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. - Last Sunday, the Klamath County Sheriff’s Office (KCSO) previously reported that an initial investigation into the cause of the Golden Fire indicated it may have started within an illegal marijuana grow. However, a joint investigation conducted by detectives from KCSO and Oregon State Police (OSP) determined that this was not the case.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Beginning Friday, July 28, 2023, at 12:01 a.m., the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, Fremont-Winema National Forest, Sheldon-Hart Mountain National Wildlife Refuge Complex, and all private, county, and state wildlands protected by the Klamath-Lake District, Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) will be raising the Fire Danger Level to EXTREME.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Crews continued to make progress on the fire through the night, holding it within the original footprint by monitoring and extinguishing spot fires, expanding mop-up areas, mitigating snags, and completing tactical patrols.
Read MoreBONANZA, Ore. – Yesterday and through the evening, firefighters worked to hold the fire within the perimeter. Additional Task Forces from Douglas, Lane, and Marion Counties arrived and worked through the night to complete tactical patrols on structures, extinguish remaining hot spots, and assist wildland partners.
Read MoreBonanza, Ore. – The Golden Fire continues to burn on Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) protected land, Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Lakeview District, and threatens Fremont-Winema National Forest lands approximately 11 miles north of Bonanza.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. - Fire crews from several agencies responded to two fast-moving brush fires on Tuesday in Klamath Falls.
Read MoreLAKEVIEW, Ore, – The fire danger level is being raised to “high” and the Industrial Fire Precaution Level (IFPL) will increase to a level 2 starting Wednesday, July 12, 2023, at 12:01 a.m. for all federal, state, county and private lands in Klamath and Lake counties protected by the agencies of the South-Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership. In addition, some fire restrictions are going in place. The public is encouraged to be aware of the current regulations before working or recreating on wildlands in Klamath and Lake counties.
Read MoreSALEM, Ore. - Today [5/9/23], Governor Tina Kotek and agency leaders who manage wildfires and conflagrations provided a briefing as the 2023 wildfire season approaches, including steps Oregonians should take to prepare.
Read MoreSALEM, Ore. – Today [3/8/23], the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) is deploying 22 firefighters to Alberta, Canada through the Northwest Compact to provide extra support in fighting their wildfires. The Northwest Compact is a mutual assistance agreement that allows five northwest states, including Oregon, and five NW Canadian provinces and territories to easily share resources with one another, creating a larger and more comprehensive fire management system.
Read MoreSALEM, OR – The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) and other fire prevention experts urge the public to exercise caution when disposing of yard debris this spring. With fires already occurring in the state, particularly in the Southwest and Central Oregon District, Oregonians need to keep fire prevention at the top of their mind.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The agencies of the South-Central Oregon Fire Management Partnership (SCOFMP) remind area residents and visitors to use caution with anything that can start a wildfire this weekend as we will see temperatures into the 80’s with a cold front to follow. Gusty winds are expected on Monday and Tuesday.
Read MoreKLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – This year Klamath Falls is marking 20 years as a Tree City USA community. ODF administers the Tree City USA program in Oregon for the national Arbor Day Foundation. ODF Community Assistance Forester Brittany Oxford explains that cities and towns need to meet four criteria to become a Tree City USA:
Read MoreSALEM, Ore. - The Oregon Legislature will be considering a number of recommendations for changes related to the statewide wildfire risk map during the 2023 session, some of which would substantively change the map itself. Following conversations last week with the Senate Committee on Natural Resources and Wildfire Programs Advisory Council, the state has decided to postpone the release of an updated draft of the map, which was planned for March 2023.
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