Malheur County is set to receive nearly $100,000 from Oregon State Fire Marshal to boost staffing levels ahead of this year’s wildfire season.
Kassie Keller, a public affairs representative with the state fire marshal’s office, said in a Monday, April 14 email that the Ontario and Nyssa Fire Departments will each receive $35,000, while Vale will get nearly $25,000.
The grant program, now in its fourth year, helps smaller fire departments bring on extra firefighters during wildfire season. Many such agencies rely on volunteers, according to the state fire marshal’s office.
Ontario Fire Chief Clint Benson said the grant will allow the department to have an engine staffed and over overtime for extra helping during red flag warnings where wildfire risk is high.
“Our goal will be to a quick jump on fires when they are reported,” Benson said.
Vale Fire Chief Jess Tolman and Nyssa Rural Fire Chief Marvin Seuell didn’t respond to a request for comment.
Benson said this will be the fourth year that the department will receive the funding. He said the extra money was “especially helpful” during last summer’s fire season.
Malheur County saw catastrophic wildfires in 2024 with the Durkee and Cow Valley Fires. Combined, twin megafires – a term used for fires that exceed 100,000 acres – burned over 400,000 acres. At one point, the Durkee Fire was the second-largest wildfire in the U.S.
News tip? Send your information to Steven Mitchell at [email protected].
BUY QUALITY – SUBSCRIBE – The Malheur Enterprise delivers quality local journalism – fair and accurate. We depend on support through subscriptions to deliver our reports. You can read it any hour, any day with a digital subscription. Read it on your phone, your Tablet, your home computer. Click subscribe – $7.50 a month.
