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A Forest Service employee in charge of a prescribed burn was arrested last week by a county sheriff after the burn in Malheur National Forest briefly escaped onto a private ranch in Oregon. The fire burned about 20 acres of private land before firefighters got it under control within an hour. The unusual arrest is reflective of the tension and distrust that exists between rural Oregon sheriffs and the federal government.
Experts worry that this incident will make it even more difficult to plan a prescribed burn in the future, especially after a controlled burn in New Mexico sparked the Calf-Canyon/Hermit's Peak Fire earlier this year, creating public distrust. Prescribed burns are a critical wildfire management tool, and it is extremely rare for a burn to get out of control.
Steve Ellis, chair of the National Association of Forest Service Retirees, worries that fear of ramifications will make forest managers reluctant to conduct burns. “Among my concerns is it could make it difficult for fire managers to approve and conduct prescribed burns if they feel they could face criminal charges or personal liability," Ellis said. "The result would be more high-intensity devastating wildfires threatening lives, destroying properties and livelihoods, and damaging ecosystems.”
Forest Service Chief Randy Moore defended the employee and reiterated the importance of prescribed burns, stating, “This is the work I and your leaders ask you to do—no one is in this work alone. We must, and will, remain committed to learning and sharing the risk and responsibility together, always.”
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Thanks to astonishing declines in the price of renewables, a truly global political mobilization, a clearer picture of the energy future and serious policy focus from world leaders, we have cut expected warming almost in half in just five years.”
