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Southern Oregon residents will have an opportunity to hear officials from state and federal agencies regarding wildfire fighting strategies and to learn about coordination among agencies, data utilized for decision-making, resources available for fighting catastrophic fires, and the need to adapt strategies in the face of changing and challenging conditions on Thursday, Jan. 17, in Medford. Panelists include Oregon Department of Forestry’s Southern Oregon Area Director Dave Lorenz, Oregon State Fire Marshal Jim Walker, Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest Supervisor Merv George (if the government shutdown has been resolved), and Ashland Fire & Rescue Forest Division Chief Chris Chambers who will provide their agency’s perspectives. Additional panelists may be announced. Hosted by Oregon House District 5 Rep. Pam Marsh, the Wildfire Forum is the next chapter of the Sept 2018 Smoke & Fire Summit at Southern Oregon University , which brought together statewide experts to address the strategic, economic, health and climate impacts of wildfires. The Wildfire Forum is free and open to the public. “The 2019 fire season is fast approaching. The forum will help us understand how our firefighting agencies are preparing to defend our communities,” said Marsh. The forum is set to run from 6 to 8 p.m. at Asante Smullin Health Education Center, 2825 East Barnett Road, Medford. Doors open at 5:30 p.m.