Forest Service in NW to permit use of heavy equipment, fire retardant in some protected roadless, wilderness areas

 PORTLAND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- Due to the intense wildfire activity in the Pacific Northwest, Forest Service leaders in the region said Sunday they have authorized the use of heavy equipment and fire retardant to suppress wildfires in roadless and wilderness areas, on a case-by-case basis.

"These aggressive suppression actions are only used when they are the most effective firefighting tool available, and when they offer a high probability of success for protecting lives, property and valuable natural resources such as old-growth forests and habitat for threatened and endangered species. They also support firefighter safety," the Forest Service said in a news release, which continues in full below:

“With the high intensity of wildfire activity across the Pacific Northwest, it’s essential that firefighters have access to every tool, including heavy equipment and fire retardant to suppress wildfires, even in some protected areas,” said Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. "Due to the current and a potential increase in wildfire activity, when we approve the use of heavy equipment and retardant in protected areas, it's because professional firefighters deem it an absolute necessity to protect lives, property, and irreplaceable natural resources like old growth.”

Protecting resources is a key concern for leaders considering where and when to allow the use of heavy equipment and retardant in Roadless and Wilderness areas. Numerous protocols and procedures help prevent harmful effects to fish and wildlife. Out of an abundance of caution, aerial retardant drops are not allowed in mapped avoidance areas for threatened, endangered, proposed, and candidate species, identified cultural resources, or in waterways.

Areas where fire retardant or mechanized equipment have been approved for potential use as part of suppression efforts in Roadless areas and Wilderness:

• Mt. Hood National Forest – in and along the boundary of the Mark O. Hatfield Wilderness in response to the Whisky Creek Fire, which as of Sunday had burned nearly 900 acres and was 0% contained.

Heavy equipment, including bulldozers, can be particularly helpful in reopening or improving pre-existing roads to be used as containment lines. This approach reduces risk to firefighters, because often the only alternative is to construct handline, which creates new disturbance, may be less effective in controlling the fire, and requires considerably more people for a greater amount of time. In addition, dozer line allows better access for medical response to firefighter injuries.

Areas where heavy equipment has been approved for potential use as part of suppression efforts on active fires:

• Willamette National Forest – use of heavy equipment to create contingency line along the edges of the Middle Santiam Wilderness and nearby Inventoried Roadless Areas in response to the Pyramid Fire, which has burned over 1,000 acres and as of Sunday is 8% contained.

Pyramid and Slate Fires (InciWeb)

Additional approvals are likely as fire season progresses.

Stay up to date on the latest information regarding large fires impacting the Pacific Northwest at InciWeb the Incident Information System.

Learn more about how the USDA Forest Service manages wildfires at the Forest Service Wildland Fire page.   

For more information about the Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Region please visit https://www.fs.usda.gov/r6.