Rogue Valley Fire Prevention

Who's Who In Fire Suppression: Different agencies, shared responsibility

There are millions of acres of federal lands under Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management alone, with an additional 15.8 million acres of private and public forestland being protected from fire by the Oregon Department of Forestry.  The Oregon Department of Forestry, Bureau of Land Management, and United States Forest Service all share the responsibility of directing programs related to conservation and management of forests, grasslands and waterways.  Fire suppression is an integral part of these responsibilities. 

photo by spotfireimages

These three agencies often have mutual aid agreements.  For example, an Oregon Department of Forestry fire suppression team may respond to a fire on Forest Service lands if they have resources operating in closer proximity to the incident than does the Forest Service.  By the same token, the Forest Service may request assistance from neighboring Oregon Department of Forestry resources to help battle a wildfire on Forest Service lands.  The same relationships exist between the Bureau of Land Management, Oregon Department of Forestry and the Forest Service. 

In addition to the previously listed agencies, there are also a large number of rural and city fire districts (and stations), all of which assist in local fire prevention and suppression efforts.  For a comprehensive list, click the link below: