- 
      - **  Home
      - **   About Us
      - **  Archives
      - **   Events
      - **  Publications

### Contact Us

To provide feedback on the Community Policing Dispatch, e-mail the editorial board at CPDispatch@usdoj.gov.

To obtain details on COPS Office programs, publications, and resources, contact the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770 or AskCopsRC@usdoj.gov

**U.S. Department of Justice**        Office of Community Oriented Policing Services            145 N Street, N.E.       Washington, DC 20530      www.cops.usdoj.gov×         Menu         - Home
- About Us
- Archives
- Events
- Publications
- Contact Us
**Fires and Law Enforcement**
 December 2018 | Volume 11 | Issue 12

In California, the Camp Fire complex north of San  Francisco has burned 151,373 acres and caused  79 known civilian fatalities as of November 20, 2018. While on  assignment to Southern Oregon last summer, the author had the opportunity to  speak with Jackson County (Oregon)  Sheriff Nathan Sickler, who was facing major fire incidents in Jackson and  Josephine counties. He agreed to speak about the sometimes-invisible duties of  law enforcement officers during a major fire incident.

 “I want to be clear,” Sheriff Sickler begins, “that we are  happy to help and serve. I just don’t think that people realize how much we do during  a fire.”

 Jackson County sits just north of the Oregon-California  border. On July 5, 2018, a fire started just south of Hornbrook, California.  The Klamathon Fire burned 38,008 acres before it was contained. On July 15,  lightning started what would become the Klondike Fire and the Taylor Creek  fires in Josephine County, Oregon, the county to the west of Jackson County.  Both the Klondike and Taylor Creek fires are still burning at the time of  writing in November 2018: Taylor Creek has burned 52,839 acres, and the  Klondike Fire has burned 175,258 acres. On August 10, the Air  Quality Index (AQI) in Ashland, Oregon, was 218 (very unhealthy) and  the temperature topped out at 105 degrees Fahrenheit. 

 “The [Klamathon] Fire was threatening to burn into  residential areas around July 5,” said Sheriff Sickler. “We immediately sent a  deputy to interlink with their command post and a lieutenant to oversee  operations. Our search-and-rescue volunteers went down there.” When a level 3  evacuation—a mandatory evacuation order—was announced, the responsibilities of  the department increased.

 “In a level 3 evacuation, we are responsible per statute  for notifying residents. Our PIO [public information officer] turned into an  almost full-time fire information officer. Also, whenever there is a level 3  closure, we have to ensure that the area is as safe as reasonable. We have to  post personnel at checkpoints to make sure that people aren’t looting the  [evacuated] properties. That means that we’re staffing 24/7 for the duration of  the level 3 evacuation.” Staffing became strained as the savage weather made  the fire difficult to contain. 

 “In a level 2 evacuation, which is the ‘pack your things  and be ready to leave’ level, we generally have to send officers door to door  to make sure that everyone gets the message. We take our duty to notify very  seriously. Naturally that takes deputies off of the roads.” Jackson County is  largely rural, so door-to-door notifications are a serious investment of time  and labor.

 “We had to employ resources from most of our  municipalities to cover overtime at the checkpoints. We didn’t want to do an  emergency schedule because you never know how long the crisis will last. My PIO  attended daily briefings for fire mapping and information. As sheriff I  attended all the public meetings. I want to stress that this is part of the job  and I’m not complaining, but it strains our resources.”

 On July 21, Oregon Governor Kate Brown declared the  southern Oregon fires a conflagration, which allowed for the mobilization of  the National Guard. “The National Guard were extremely helpful,” the sheriff  reported, “but they are unarmed and have no law enforcement authority. Last summer,  we could have had 30 more deputies and it would have been okay.” The county is  eligible to have some of its expenses reimbursed by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, but with  the increasing frequency of major fires, Sheriff Sickler is concerned that  there are insufficient resources for local law enforcement agencies to support  the firefighting efforts. 

 “I would love for certain funding to be earmarked for law  enforcement in case of a fire. We wouldn’t even necessarily need new funding,  just for existing funding to be expanded to include fire management.”

 Sarah Estill, Social Science  Analyst COPS Office

Tweet
**Subscribe to Email Updates**
To sign up for monthly updates or to access your subscriber preferences, please enter your email address in the Subscribe box.
Email
The Community Policing Dispatch is the e-newsletter of the COPS Office. 

The Community Policing Dispatch is the e-newsletter of the COPS Office. 

**Explore**
- Home
- About Us
- Archives
- Events
- Publications
- Contact Us
**Connect With Us**
Want to stay connected with the COPS office?             Follow us on social media!
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
 FOIA 

 No FEAR Act 

 Open Government 

 Plain Writing 

 USA.gov 

 Legal Policies and Disclaimers 

 Language Access Plan 

 DOJ Privacy Policy