Oregon Governor Declares Royce Butte Fire A Conflagration

The Conflagration Act is only used for fires that involve or threaten life and structures.

Active fires in Oregon as of September 17, 2008. Map: www.nwccweb.us

(SALEM, Ore.) - Governor Theodore Kulongoski has declared the Royce Butte fire 12 miles west of Crescent Lake as a conflagration. The declaration cleared the way for the state fire marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment to assist local resources battling the fire.

The request to invoke the Oregon Conflagration Act was made by Klamath County Fire Defense Board Chief John Ketchum.

According to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center, the fire started at 3:00 PM September 16. Dry fuel conditions along with an unstable air pattern cause the fire to move rapidly with extreme fire behavior.

The fire has burned more than 1,100 acres of grass and brush and threatens 200 structures. Evacuations have taken place in the Crescent Lake Junction community, Diamond Peaks subdivision (east of Crescent Lake Junction), East Odell Lodge and summer homes at Crescent and Odell Lakes. The Oregon Department of Transportation has closed Highway 58 near milepost 70.

The Office of State Marshal's Red Incident Management Team and structural task forces from Deschutes and Lane counties are en-route. A Klamath County structural task force is on scene.

Oregon's conflagration may be invoked only by the Governor and allows the State Fire Marshal to dispatch structural firefighters and equipment.

The Conflagration Act was developed in 1940 as a civil defense measure and can be invoked only by the governor. The act allows the State Fire Marshal to mobilize firefighters and equipment from around the state.

More information on Conflagration and Emergency Mobilization is available at OSFM website: http://www.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/2008_Oregon_Fire_Service_Mobilization_Plan.shtml.

Additional resources on surviving wildfires may be accessed at:

• Wildfire…Evacuation Readiness http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Comm_Ed/WUI/wildfire_evac.doc
• After the Wildfire… http://egov.oregon.gov/OSP/SFM/docs/Comm_Ed/WUI/After_a_wildfire.doc