Douglas County Fire District No. 2 is currently accepting applications for entry and lateral Firefighter/Paramedic. Please see our “Job Openings” tab at the top of the page for more information about the job posting and application or use this Link.
FIRE SEASON BEGINS JUNE 11TH!
The 2019 fire season officially began Tuesday, June 11th at 12:01am on all lands that are protected by the Douglas Forest Protective Association. The declaration of fire season imposes certain fire restrictions on both the general public and industrial operators to help prevent wildfires.
With the declaration of fire season, the use of exploding targets and tracer ammunition are prohibited within the Douglas district. In addition, the use of sky lanterns are prohibited year-round in Oregon. Public use restrictions are not yet in effect, meaning there are no time restrictions yet on lawn mowing, power saws and weed eaters. This will change as the fire danger increases.
The start of fire season also means the end of unregulated outside debris burning for rural Douglas County residents. Fire officials recommend checking any debris piles that were burned earlier this spring. If not properly extinguished, burn piles have the potential of smoldering for weeks, or even months, before popping back to life on a warm, windy day.
The declaration of fire season also means the start of industrial fire regulations. On Tuesday, the entire Douglas District will go into Industrial Fire Precaution Level I (one). During IFPL I, smoking is prohibited while working on, or traveling through, and industrial operation. In addition, specified fire tools and suppression equipment must be on site and ready for use at all industrial operations taking place within the Douglas district. A fire watch is also required once work has completed for the day.
WILDFIRE AWARENESS MONTH PUTS SPOTLIGHT ON MAKING HOMES SAFE FROM WILDFIRE
May is Wildfire Awareness Month in Oregon, and federal, state and firefighting agencies are encouraging homeowners to make sure their homes are protected from wildfire.
The Oregon Department of Forestry, Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal and Keep Oregon Green, in collaboration with Oregon forest protective associations, the Office of Emergency Management and federal wildland agencies, are taking this opportunity to promote defensible space around homes before fire strikes this summer.
“The roof is the most critical part of the house when it comes to wildfire protection,” says Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker. “Embers can collect and ignite on the roof, in gutters and enter unscreened openings around the house. Although non-combustible roofing material is preferred, regardless of the construction, keep roofs, gutters and eaves clear of all leaves, pine needles and other flammable debris.”
To reduce the risk, fire officials suggest removing dead vegetation a minimum of 30 feet around your house and other structures. In most cases, trees and healthy plants do not need to be removed. However, trees should be pruned and grass kept short and green to keep fire on the ground and more manageable by fire crews. Maintain a five-foot fire-free area closest to the home using nonflammable landscaping material and fire resistant plants.
“Defensible space is a property’s first line of defense against wildfire,” says Oregon Department of Forestry Fire Prevention Coordinator Tom Fields. “Creating and maintaining defensible space around homes can improve your property’s likelihood of surviving a wildfire. Having defensible space also makes it safer for firefighters who may have to defend someone’s home.”
Homeowners should also consider access issues for large fire trucks. Long driveways should be at least 12 feet wide, have 10 feet of vegetation clearance from the centerline out, and about 14 feet overhead. Large vehicle turnaround areas are critical for your safety as well as firefighter safety.
Should a fire occur near a community, Oregon Office of Emergency Management Director Andrew Phelps encourages residents to be prepared if an evacuation is necessary. “Wildfires can come without warning and move quickly, so residents need to prepare now in case they have to leave their home,” Phelps said. “Make sure to put together a ‘Go Kit,’ register for emergency notification systems in your community, and make a plan where your family will go and how you will stay in contact if evacuated.”
It is the homeowner’s responsibility to protect their homes by building defensible space. For more information, visit the websites for the Office of State Fire Marshal, the Office of Emergency Management, Keep Oregon Green and the Oregon Department of Forestry, or call your nearest ODF or forest protective association office.
Additional information on preparing for wildfires can be found on the Ready.gov website.
Notice of Budget Committee Meeting
A public meeting of the Budget Committee of the MedCom Ambulance Authority, Douglas County, State of Oregon, to discuss the budget for fiscal year July 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020, will be held at 1290 NE Cedar Street, Roseburg, Oregon. The meeting will take place on the 6th day of June at 11AM. The purpose of the meeting is to receive the budget message and to receive comment from the public on the budget. A copy of the budget document may be inspected or obtained on or after May 11, 2019 at Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Headquarters at 1400 Buckhorn Road, Roseburg between the hours of 8AM-4:30PM.
This is a public meeting where deliberation of the Budget Committee will take place. Any person may appear at the meeting and discuss the proposed programs with the Budget Committee.
Douglas County Fire District No. 2 Burning Regulations
The following residential “backyard” burning regulations are in effect during burn season:
Residential (Backyard) burning includes DRY yard debris, trimmings and clippings only. The burning of standing berry vines, grass or weeds, paper, wood products, plastics, auto parts, tires, wire insulation, household garbage, construction materials, materials from land clearing or other non-yard debris items is prohibited. Backyard burning may not be done on another person’s property or on vacant lots.
Backyard burning is only allowed during daylight hours and shall not be conducted within 50 feet of any structure or other combustible material or property line. Clearance from structures and other combustible materials may be reduced as follows: Not less than 15 feet when burning is conducted in an approved burning appliance such as a burn barrel, or not less than 25 feet when the burn pile size is no larger than 3 feet in diameter x 2 feet high.
Fires shall be supervised (direct line of sight) by an adult at all times. Tools and/or garden hoses to control or extinguish the fire must be available on site at all times.
A permit from Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) is required for Industrial, Commercial, Construction Waste and Demolition Waste.
Douglas County has numerous alternative methods available to residents. For a list of these alternatives please refer to: Recycle Power.org or call (541)440-4268
Fire Season Ends Sunday October 28th, 2018.
FIRE SEASON COMES TO AN END
Fire officials with the Douglas Forest Protective Association will officially end fire season on the Douglas District Sunday, October 28th at 12:01 a.m. This will also signify an end to fire season in DCFD#2 areas.
With the end of fire season, Industrial Fire Restrictions on DFPA protected land will no longer be in effect. Backyard debris burning outside of incorporated cities will be allowed without a burn permit from DFPA, however residents should contact their local fire department before conducting any burning as fire restrictions may vary between local fire districts. The only type of burning that requires a permit from DFPA outside of fire season is for the burning of logging slash. Any type of commercial tree harvest that requires excess debris to be burned constitutes logging slash and therefore requires a burn permit. Permits to burn logging slash can be obtained by calling DFPA at 541-672-6507.
Despite fire season coming to an end, fire officials advise residents to exercise caution when burning or using fire in the woods. Several days of sunshine and dry weather during the fall months can create a fire risk even if a week or more of rainy, cool conditions precedes them. When burning yard debris, make sure to have an adequate fire trail around the pile or incinerator and never leave the burn unattended. If a fire escape containment, the responsible party may be held financially responsible for the resulting fire suppression costs and associated damages.
The 2018 fire season began on June 8th and lasted 142 days. Firefighters suppressed 95 fires which burned about 270 acre within the Douglas District. Lightning sparked 9 of those fires that burned about 110 acres, most of which was on private land within the Miles Fire. 86 human caused fires scorched roughly 160 acres, with about 100 of those acres resulting from the Mile Post 163 fires.