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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • FRIDAY, JUNE 29, 2018
FIGHTING
FIRE WITH FIRE
By COLIN MURPHEY
The Daily Astorian
W
hile it may sound counterintuitive to the layman, a carefully set blaze
is one of the most effective tools to control a wildfire for those who
answer the call during fire season. Personnel from multiple agen-
cies and most of the fire departments in Clatsop County gathered at Camp Rilea
last weekend to perform a prescribed burn for practice. With fires already burning
in central Oregon and drought conditions across the state, it’s likely the men and
women who do this work will be putting their skills to the test in coming months.
Photos by Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
A firefighter uses a drip torch to set a deliberate fire at Camp Rilea.
Chyanne Kohler looks out over a prescribed burn at Camp Rilea.
Chyanne Kohler, firefighter with the Oregon
Military Department, participates in a pre-
scribed burn exercise at Camp Rilea.
Firefighters monitor a National Guard helicopter as it drops water on the prescribed burn.
The burn was also effective in removing invasive
species, such as Scotch broom, from the area.
Multiple agencies, including most fire depart-
ments in Clatsop County, took part in the training.
A wildland firefighter sets a grassy field
ablaze with a drip torch.
A National Guard helicopter heads off for more water after dropping a bucketload on the fire.