More than 100 inmates gained practical firefighting skills at the South Fork Forest Camp in preparation for rapid deployment as fire season approaches.
Tillamook, Ore. — More than 100 adults in custody are receiving hands-on Wilderness Firefighting Training this week at South Fork Forest Camp near Tillamook, part of a long-standing partnership between the Oregon Department of Forestry and the Oregon Department of Corrections. The training prepares participants to deploy to active fires immediately upon completion of certification, enhancing the state’s wildfire response capabilities ahead of fire season.
The training combines classroom instruction with physically demanding field exercises designed to simulate real wildfire conditions.
Derek Gasperini, public affairs officer for the Oregon Department of Forestry, said crews will play a key role once the fire is under control.
“The Oregon Department of Forestry area had a pretty heavy initial attack on us, and then these crews came in and were able to do the cleanup, which they were practicing today,” Gasperini said. “They were able to pick up the hoses and make those engines available for the initial attack on the next start.”
South Fork Forest Camp is the oldest and largest work camp of its kind in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1951, it has trained incarcerated adults to assist in firefighting and forest management while preparing them for reintegration into society.
For many participants, the program provides more than job training.
Tyler Davis, a crew member who has been at the camp for three years, said the experience provides a sense of purpose and an opportunity to demonstrate personal growth.
“We want to show people that we are not what we used to be as far as incarceration is concerned,” Davis said. “We want to show people in society that we have a lot to contribute and that reform is a very real thing here.”
Davis, who previously worked in the timber industry, said the program deepened his connection to forestry.
“It really gave me a real sense of what forestry means to me,” he said, adding that the hands-on training helps prepare new participants to respond to wildfires. “It gives them a real sense of the challenges they face.”
Participants can deploy to fire scenes in northwest Oregon, and crews can also be pre-deployed to high-risk areas during red flag warnings or expected lightning events.
Gasperini said having rescue crews “certainly enhances” the state’s ability to quickly respond to new fires.
For others, the program provides a rare sense of freedom and direction.
Kristopher Lessar, who has been at the camp for three months, said the work is both challenging and rewarding.
“It’s amazing, but also fun. It’s a pleasure to go,” Lesa said. “It’s physical labor — and there’s nothing wrong with physical labor.”
Lessa said the opportunity drew him to the program.
“I wanted the experience of being in prison, but not being in prison,” he said. “It’s not just behind prison walls. At least we’re in the woods.”
After completing a week of training, crews are ready to deploy to provide critical support during Oregon’s increasingly severe wildfire season.
