About the Juniper Flat Rural Fire Protection District

The JFRFPD is a 93 square mile, rural, high-fire-risk district established in 1976.  Our department is organized under ORS Chapter 478 and is staffed by volunteers.  It protects the communities of Pine Grove and Wapinitia, farms and ranches on Juniper Flat, and, through mutual aid agreements, the communities of Maupin, Tygh Valley, Pine Hollow, Wamic and Shaniko. Through mutual aid agreements we may respond anywhere in Wasco and neighboring counties.  We protect critical infrastructure including 3 BPA distribution lines, a BNSF railroad, a stretch of the Deschutes River and Oregon Dept. of Fish and Wildlife lands used heavily for recreation.

The department operates from three stations located to position equipment in the west, central and eastern portions of the Flat.  This gives our district an ISO class 5 rating for properties within 5 road miles of the nearest station.

The district's geography ranges from deep canyons and steep hills with rough terrain to a rolling flat broken up by nearly impassable rock hollows.  The fuel load is predominantly flashy (crops, wildland grass and brush) with stands of juniper. Heavier mixed fuels (conifers, oak and brush) occur along the south and west boundaries.  Farming practices have changed with huge amounts of continuously-cultivated grass in long term programs (CRP and No-Till), eliminating many fuel breaks we used to control fires in prior years.

With large, fast-moving fires, the department has evolved a highly mobile, mechanized style of direct running attack with customized engines and highly trained firefighters.  Our unusually mechanized, running direct attack capability consists of engines equipped with front and rear bumper nozzles and front monitors/cannons, all controlled from the cab (see the Apparatus section). This enables a single driver/operator to catch a fast-moving wildfire, allowing additional resources time to arrive on the scene.  Under circumstances experienced historically in our district, this style is highly successful in stopping and controlling (especially) flashy, light-fuel grass fires.  It places a premium on teamwork with training, good communications and initiative among volunteers.

Fire Chief:  Eugene Walters (541) 328-6388 (Eugene@JuniperFlatRFPD.com)