Tribe sends crews to help with wildfire suppression efforts in two states

By Nicole Montesano

Smoke Signals staff writer

UPDATED: The Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde has been sending out fire engines and crews to help with the massive fires burning across Central and Eastern Oregon, as well as to Washington, Tribal Emergency Preparedness Coordinator Brandy Bishop and Interim General Manager Bryan Langley told Tribal Council during a Tuesday, July 28, Legislative Action Committee meeting.

More than 1.1 million acres have burned in Oregon so far this year, Bishop said, affecting several Tribes. By Monday, Aug. 3, that total had surpassed 2 million acres, but Bishop said during a report to the Legislative Action Committee on Tuesday, Aug. 4, that evacuation orders were being reduced for the Burns Pauite, Warm Springs and Umatilla reservations.

“We continue to support statewide operations while maintaining readiness” locally, Bishop said.

The Tribe’s Natural Resources Department Manager Colby Drake and Fire Management and Protection Program Manager Andrew Puerini reported at LAC that the Tribe’s wildland fire division currently has six engines deployed to three different fires, along with 49 Tribal staff members.

Currently, Drake said, “there are 99 large uncontained fires burning” across the country, with the majority located in Washington and Oregon.

The Tribe has been closing some gates in its forestlands, he said, to try to prevent dispersed camping, although it is still allowing camping at designated campsites.

Puerini said the Tribe still maintains several pieces of fire equipment on the reservation, along with 15 staff, to conduct weekend patrols and fight any fires that might break out locally.

During a thunderstorm the last week of July, he said, “There were hundreds of lightning strikes,” that resulted in some 15 relatively small fires. Two of those were on the reservation but were found only later after they had burned themselves out,” he said.

At the Tuesday, Aug. 11, Legislative Action Committee meeting, Langley announced that Tribal Council and the Natural Resources Department were able to donate $5,000 worth of water and food to the Warm Springs Tribe. He also noted that Bishop had gone over to Warm Springs to help with emergency response efforts there.

Tribal member Amber Case-Eastman of Red Road Cleaning LLC and Tribal member Stephanie Craig of Rooted Ways announced on social media recently that they are collecting donations of traditional medicinal plants for “our Native brothers and sisters who lost theirs because of the fires.”

“We are accepting sage, cedar bundles, sweetgrass, tobacco, lavender, calendula, juniper, pine pitch and other prayer medicines … call 503-793-2037 to arrange a drop-off or pickup,” they wrote. “From Grand Ronde with love, may our relatives feel the strength of community surrounding them.”

Sovereignty Bites, a Tribal member owned business, announced that it is donating 15% of its meal prep sales to wildfire relief efforts “with a focus on supporting displaced community members in Warm Springs, and as funds allow, other affected communities.”

To learn more, visit www.sovereigntybites.com.

Initial fire response

At the Wednesday, July 29, Tribal Council meeting, Bishop told council that “I have been in contact with each (Tribal emergency manager) to let them know that we are in support of helping them with whatever they may need,” she said. “As of now, they have not requested anything from us but they are using state and federal resources…Warm Springs says that they may need something come recovery time but we will wait and see on that.”

Langley also provided updated information at the council meeting.

“I spoke with Andrew Puerini and he said that he reached out to Warm Springs and offered our hand crew,” he said. “They’re up near Detroit (Lake) right now and they would be able to assist Aug. 4, but he hasn’t heard back from Warm Springs yet. In addition to that, we have crews near Vale, with three engines there. We have one engine and a hand crew near the Middle Fork Fire, which is in the Eugene area, and then in Wenatchee and Spokane, Washington, we have one engine there. We have 52 personnel out on the fires currently and we still have our three engines and 11 staff here locally to address needs, should they arise.”

The Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs issued an emergency declaration, following the Bench Fire that has burned six homes and other structures. Evacuations remain in place, Bishop said, and the Tribe is considering pursuing a presidential disaster declaration.

The Burns Paiute Tribe has also issued an emergency declaration, and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation has been affected by the Hagan Fire burning on reservation lands and surrounding communities.

The Oregonian newspaper reported that 76 large fires have burned in Oregon so far this year and 35 of those are still active.

The Tribe’s Emergency Services Department has been sending help, Bishop said, with 10 personnel and two fire engines to help with the statewide wildfire response at Warm Springs and other locations.

“Despite these deployments, CTGR has not experienced local staffing shortages,” she said. “Full emergency management coverage has been maintained through state-reimbursed overtime and part-time staffing, allowing CTGR to continue supporting statewide wildfire response while remaining fully prepared to protect the Grand Ronde community.”

She said she remains in contact “with the Emergency Managers from the Confederated Tribes of Warm Springs, the Burns Paiute Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation. I have conveyed that the CTGR Tribal Council sends its thoughts and prayers to their communities and that CTGR stands ready to provide assistance if requested through the appropriate resource request process. I also remain in close coordination with the Oregon Department of Emergency Management Tribal liaison.”

• Smoke Signals Editor Danielle Harrison contributed to this story.