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3 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW White City house fire snuffed quickly ... Talent to break ground on new plaza Monday ... Fire caused by unattended fire pit torches east Medford attic ... White City house fire snuffed quickly ... Talent to break ground on new plaza Monday ... Fire caused by unattended fire pit torches east Medford attic ... CONTINUING COVERAGE: WILDFIRES Calling out the troops Citizen soldiers, students, district firefighters battle Oregon blazes By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 29, 2015 @ 12:01 am By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 29, 2015 @ 12:01 am --> Burning to fight fires? Fighting fires doesn't have to be a career move. There are lots of ways to get involved at varying levels. Grayback is looking for applicants for firefigh... » Read more X Burning to fight fires? Fighting fires doesn't have to be a career move. There are lots of ways to get involved at varying levels. Grayback is looking for applicants for firefighting positions before its next training session in early September. Potential hires are required to be in top physical shape. An entry-level firefighter job requires 40 hours of training and a backpack test to measure fitness. It uses federal standards to determine all levels of qualification. Interested applicants can call 541-476-0033 for more information. The Oregon Department of Forestry offers a variety of firefighting-related job opportunities; information can be found on its seasonal employment page. Visit http://ow.ly/RwsFF. The Bureau of Land Management also has temporary seasonal positions for Oregon and Washington on its website. You can find out about the application process by visiting http://ow.ly/RwsAj and get info on current wages by calling 541-573-4400. » Social News p bs:newslist StartDate="20121121" EndDate="p bs:datecalc Months="3"" DateSort="1" UseObjects="1" ObjectClass="81" Taxonomywords="2325,665" ExactTaxonomyMatch="1" Image="1" Count="4" --> Residents of the Rogue Valley are helping combat Oregon's severe fire season, which has demanded a multifaceted attack plan that engages all kinds of community members.  Citizen soldiers, professional firefighters and students on break are among the ranks of the approximately 4,000 personnel battling at least 10 wildfires burning across the state. Gov. Kate Brown activated National Guard ground troops to aid firefighters for the first time in 10 years in a deployment called "Operation Plan: Smokey." The first 125 volunteers went to Salem for training last week, finished on Wednesday and were dispatched to the Canyon Creek Complex, a high-priority fire that began on Aug. 12 south of John Day and had blackened almost 90,000 acres by Friday.  Five soldiers from the 1-186 Infantry Battalion based in Ashland are among the first group of volunteers; 250 more citizen soldiers are finishing their training in Salem with the Department of Public Safety and Standards. Lt. Heather Bashor, spokeswoman for the Oregon National Guard, said that the organization has supported fire crews with aircraft almost every summer, but Operation Plan: Smokey is meant to engage foot soldiers on the governor's order. It's been in place for several years, annually updating its list of volunteers who could be mobilized. The first 125 who were sent out were the most readily available to be dispatched to the John Day area. "People want to do it because a lot of us are really excited about going to help our community," Bashor said. The National Guard troops serve primarily as support crews for Oregon Department of Forestry firefighters who are actively fighting fires. The troops work mostly in mop-up operations, which strengthen contingency lines and keep creeping ground fires from spreading. That allows professional firefighters to move to the front lines to battle the flames. According to ODF spokesman Tony Anderson, the Canyon Creek Complex flared up fast enough that it became clear early on that help from the Guard would be needed. "By Aug. 14, those contract crews were stretched pretty thin," Anderson said. "We were getting it done but planning ahead for the next month we knew we would need the support to give those contract crews a rest. The National Guard provides that support." Contract crews are a combination of forces that include ODF firefighters, temporary helpers from county fire districts and private companies. A prominent company in the Rogue Valley is Grayback Forestry, which has been aiding in fire prevention and firefighting since the 1970s. Companies like Grayback contract with state and federal governments as well as private landowners. They provide everything from active firefighting to equipment and support services such as fuel management.  Grayback contracts to fight fires in Idaho, California and Washington in addition to Oregon. Firefighters crossing state lines is not uncommon: Contract crews from Kentucky and Nevada are helping battle the Canyon Creek Complex fire, the ODF said. President Michael Wheelock said Grayback has some full-time staff, but also relies heavily on college and high school students during the summer fire season. Because of slashed budgets for year-round thinning work, summer firefighting has become a higher priority for the company, Wheelock said. But the increased demand for summer workers has been a problem, as numbers of new applicants have dwindled in recent years, he said. Jackson Country fire districts also have sent crews out to help with forest fires. Fire District 3 has crews on the Canyon Creek Complex, and District 5 sent firefighters there last week. Medford Fire-Rescue Chief Brian Fish dispatched a unit to a fire in Warm Springs earlier in the month, as did the nonprofit Lomakatsi Restoration Project based in Ashland. In other parts of the state, inmates from state prisons who have committed nonviolent crimes are helping fight the Stouts fire burning east of Canyonville. Anderson said that program has been a reliable source of support for years. "It’s quite the operation," said Anderson. "For me, just witnessing what we call the complete and coordinated system, watching tons of communities and organizations coming together to get these fires out, is pretty amazing." Reach reporting intern Kaylee Tornay at [email protected]. By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Kaylee Tornay Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 29, 2015 @ 12:01 am » Comment or view comments /* $( document ).ready(function() { // Jquery mobile is trying to style the button and leaving a blank gry button on top of a white button $("#viafouracoms .vf-comment-controls li.vf-right").html(' Submit '); });*/ » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Propel Marketing Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Mobile Site Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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