The City of Roseburg Fire Department and Central Douglas Fire & Rescue Authority will be actively engaging in wildland fire training exercises on Reservoir Hill on June 24, 26, and 28, 2024.  During the training exercises, live burning will occur throughout the day.  Training will begin at 9 a.m. and end at 4 p.m. each day. Firefighters may remain at the training location for an extended period after training has concluded for site cleanup.  The training exercises will occur on City owned property.  The live burn training will occur on three separate portions of the hillside to allow for training on each of the days.  In preparation for the training exercises, firefighters will be conducting small, controlled burns on June 18, 2024, to assist with protection of the nearby residential properties and City of Roseburg assets before the larger burns begin on June 24, 2024.

The training objectives will include refresher training on wildland firefighting tactics in conjunction with local fire agencies, continued training on command and control procedures for multi-unit incident response and eliminating fuels in an effort to minimize the threat of an uncontrolled burn in the area.  This training opportunity provides the ability to not only train together, but also to improve the effectiveness of interoperability between multiple agencies.

As always, safety will be the number one priority for personnel participating in the training.  The City of Roseburg Fire Department would like to thank the City of Roseburg Police Department for providing additional assistance.  Media wishing to interview a Public Information Officer regarding this training exercise are encouraged to contact Staff Assistant Amy Rice at 541.492.6727 or arice@cityofroseburg.org to coordinate an allotted time with a Public Information Officer at the training site.

At 7:53 p.m. on April 5, 2024, Roseburg Fire Department personnel responded to a residential structure fire with a known rescue at 737 W. Wharton Street.  Firefighters arrived on scene to find a single-family residential structure with heavy fire and smoke coming from the left, front corner of the home with smoke alarms sounding. Upon arrival, a female resident informed fire crews that her husband was still inside the structure near the front of the home.

Fire crews entered the single-family residence in rescue mode. Crews were able to quickly locate the seventy-one year old male resident near the front of the home and found him to be unconscious.  Crews quickly removed the victim through the front door of the home.  The patient was transported to a nearby hospital, where the victim succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced deceased.  Crews extinguished the fire and completed overhaul of the structure. 

The single-family residence sustained structural, smoke, and water damage.  A fire investigator was on scene and the exact cause of the fire is under investigation. Sixteen firefighters assisted with firefighting operations.  Other agencies assisting with the fire included Umpqua Valley Ambulance, Douglas County Fire District #2, Roseburg Police Department, Avista Utilities, and Pacific Power. 

The Roseburg Fire Department would like to remind everyone of the importance of working smoke alarms and ensuring you have the appropriate number of smoke alarms installed in the home.  Remember to make sure you have working smoke alarms on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area and in every bedroom.  Roseburg Fire Department recommends that homeowners consider a home fire sprinkler system for increased protection.

For the latest information regarding the City of Roseburg Fire Department, please visit our website at www.cityofroseburg.org or like us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/roseburgfire.

The City of Roseburg Fire Department will begin issuing residential burn permits, beginning on April 15, 2024 and ending on May 15, 2024.

These permits are issued for seven (7) days at a cost of $75.00.  Residential yard waste is the only material that may be burned. Prohibited items include standing berry vines, paper, wood, plastics, tires, standing grass, weeds, construction material, and material from lot clearing.  Burning may not be done on vacant lots or the property of another. Fires must be monitored by a competent adult and extinguished prior to darkness. Tools to control or extinguish the fire must be on-site whenever there is material burning.

Burn barrels are never allowed inside City limits, and anyone burning trash or burning without a permit may be subject to a fine and/or legal action.  Additionally, due diligence must be exercised while burning, even with a permit, as fire can quickly get out of control, and the person responsible for the fire may be subject to fines, legal action, or restitution.

If possible, residents are urged to utilize alternatives to burning, such as composting, chipping, mulching, or transporting the debris to the Douglas County Landfill.  More information on these options can be found at https://douglascounty-oregon.us/449/Wood-Yard-Waste

To request a burning permit in the City of Roseburg, call (541) 492-6770 between the hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday through Friday. This information, as well as the burn permit request form is also available on the city website at https://www.cityofroseburg.org/departments/fire