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Nine people working to contain the Bootleg fire in southern Oregon on Thursday tested positive for COVID-19.
Those who have tested positive for the virus, are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or have come in contact with people who test positive are now isolated from other firefighters, officials said.
The region and the United States are already using up nearly all of their firefighting resources this year, leaving little room for Oregon to ask for additional backup as wildfires burn across the West.
But the temporary loss of firefighters won’t hamper firefighting efforts, said Jamie Knight, Bootleg’s fire operations spokesperson.
Nearly 2,270 people are working to put out the Bootleg fire, which is the largest wildfire in the country. It burns just under 400,000 acres and was 38% content Thursday afternoon.
It is not yet clear whether people who test positive have been vaccinated. Firefighters are not required to be vaccinated, Knight said, although they were given priority for the spring shootings.
A number of COVID-19 mitigation efforts put in place during the 2020 fire season remain in effect this year.
Each incident management team dispatched to a fire is assigned a health liaison focused on preventing the spread of the virus. Resources such as hand washing stations, disinfectants and cleaning supplies are also provided in the camps.
The camps themselves are spaced out so that people come in contact less frequently, Knight said. Buffet-style food halls were also rejected in favor of meal pickups to reduce the number of interactions between firefighters and those preparing their food, she said.
– Jack Forrest
[email protected]; 541-222-9808; @ Jackmandu55
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