CTUIR hyper-alert to wildfire danger
By Terry Murry on Friday, July 23rd, 2021 in Columbia Basin News More Top Stories
MISSION – The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation is taking steps to prevent wildfires both on the reservation and on lands it owns off the reservation. Interim Deputy Executive Director Matthew Johnson says CTUIR is fortunate to have a wildfire fighting team from the Bureau of Indian Affairs as well as its own Umatilla Tribal Fire Department because firefighting resources are spread so thin in the state.
“If there were to be a fire on the reservation, it’s unlikely that we would receive any outside support from any other firefighting agencies or entities,” he said.
Johnson said he believes that between the two crews there are 16 firefighters.
“It’s just another reason that we’re taking the steps that we’re taking to protect people and property on the reservation,” he said.
