SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has sent two task forces to the Wiley Fire burning near Sweet Home in Linn County. The two task forces are from Multnomah and Polk counties. In total, 23 firefighters, eight engines, and two water tenders were mobilized.

The task forces were sent through Immediate Response, a tool the OSFM uses to send additional firefighters and equipment outside of a conflagration.

“Over the last few days firefighters have been working to contain the Wiley Fire and help those living in the evacuation area be better protected,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “With the west slope of the Cascades seeing an increase in fire activity over the past week and forecasters calling for hot temperatures and unstable weather beginning Sunday, we’re bringing in extra support to help the local crews.” 

The Wiley Fire was reported Monday, August 7, on the Sweet Home Ranger District near Buck Mountain in the Little Wiley Creek drainage. As of Thursday morning, the fire was estimated to be 165 acres and 0 percent contained. The U.S. Forest Service, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and the Sweet Home Fire District have been aggressively attacking the fire from the ground and from the air. The Willamette National Forest is posting updates about the fire.

The Linn County Sheriff has level 1 & 2 evacuation notices in place for those living near the fire. For the latest information and maps of the evacuation area please follow the Linn County Sheriff’s Office.

ABOUT IMMEDIATE RESPONSE

Immediate response is made possible through the OSFM’s Response Ready Oregon initiative, created through Oregon’s wildfire omnibus bill, Senate Bill 762 which was signed into law in 2021. The goal of Response Ready Oregon is to keep fires small and away from communities and prevent large, costly wildfires.