SALEM, Ore. — A Complex Incident Management Team (CIMT) from Florida will assume command of the East Evans Creek Fire in the Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) Southwest Oregon District at 6 a.m. Monday, replacing ODF CIMT 1 after two weeks of managing the fire and advancing containment efforts.
The Florida team was mobilized through a state-to-state mutual aid agreement, part of a nationwide network that allows states to share wildfire resources when local capabilities are stretched.
ODF Fire Protection Division Chief Michael Curran said the agreements play a critical role in strengthening wildfire response across North America.
“These agreements create a reciprocal cache of resources that bolster the complete and coordinated fire protection system across North America,” Curran said. “In times when resources within our state are strained, it’s nice to have the support of our partner states.”
The mutual aid system includes all 50 states, Alaska, Hawaii, and northwestern Canadian provinces and territories, enabling agencies to share personnel and equipment during periods of high fire activity. ODF officials said the arrangement provides access to a broader pool of firefighting resources than any single state could maintain on its own.
This marks the first time ODF has requested an incident management team through the interstate agreement during the 2026 wildfire season. However, Florida personnel have assisted Oregon during previous wildfire seasons by filling specialized positions on fire incidents.
So far this season, ODF has received firefighting resources from eight states:
- Minnesota
- Louisiana
- Georgia
- Florida
- California
- Alabama
- Tennessee
- Nevada
The Florida CIMT is expected to remain assigned to the East Evans Creek Fire for a standard 14-day deployment. Following Monday’s transition, members of ODF CIMT 1 will return home and receive two mandatory rest days before becoming available for future wildfire assignments.
The transition comes as Oregon continues to rely on interstate partnerships to maintain staffing levels and sustain suppression efforts during an active wildfire season.
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It’s nice to see other states come to the aid of those states in need. As for the forest fires in Oregon, it is rather difficult to, as the old saying goes, “It’s difficult to remember your goal was to drain the swamp, when you are up to your ass in alligators.”. For as long as I can remember and I’m 80, forest fires have been a problem in Oregon. Timber companies are required to plant new trees when harvesting timber. Problem is too many trees are planted per any given acre, and a small fire can easily crown and become a big problem. It seems proper forest management would require selective logging and the manual clearing of underbrush and control burning. It seems to this native Oregonian that we could learn a bit about forest management from the Indians who have lived on this land for centuries.