SALEM, Ore. – With Red Flag Warnings in place and increased fire activity on the Bedrock Fire in Lane County, the Oregon State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has mobilized four task forces to the fire through Immediate Response. The task forces are from Multnomah, Douglas, Polk, and Washington counties. The Multnomah County task force was previously assigned to the Wiley Fire in Linn County and was moved on Sunday to begin assessing homes and preparing communities. 

Over the past 72 hours, our agency has been working diligently to be ready for this critical weather event and increased fire danger. On Saturday, task forces were pre-positioned in Lane County. The OSFM has been in constant contact with the local fire agencies and the team managing the Bedrock Fire to provide support. 

The OSFM is in contact with California to bring in additional strike teams through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC). These additional resources are a proactive move to ensure Oregon has the necessary resources to respond to the increased fire threat.  

“The next few days are going to be challenging with extreme heat, lightning, and red flag conditions in the forecast,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “The Bedrock Fire continues to move out of the wilderness and is threatening nearby communities. Our agency will be there to support our local fire service partners.” 

As of Monday morning, the Bedrock Fire was estimated to be 19,297 acres in size and 20 percent contained. A virtual meeting is planned for this evening. More information can be found on the Bedrock Fire 2023 Facebook page. 

The Lane County Sheriff’s Office has level 2 and level 3 evacuation notices in place for those living near the fire. For the latest evacuation information, Lane County Emergency Management is posting updates to its website.  

The OSFM is asking Oregonians and visitors to be extremely cautious during these heightened wildfire conditions. We all need to be wildfire aware and take necessary precautions to avoid sparking a human-caused fire.  

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, 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.