VIDEO: Firefighters battling the Moon Complex Fire in Curry County are relying on an unusual method of transportation, jet boats. Jerryโs Rogue Jets, a local jet boat tour company based in Agness, has been contracted to help firefighting crews by ferrying them, along with their gear and supplies, across the Rogue River to hard-to-reach fire lines. The companyโs involvement began after the lightning caused fire ignited on Sept. 3 in a rugged, roadless area.
โIn an event like this with firefighters and resources there is no road leading up here. So the river’s gonna be your main thoroughfare for commerce and or in this case for firefighting efforts.โ said Scott McNair, Operations Manager of Jerryโs Rogue Jets. The Moon Complex Fire has proven especially difficult to access by road prompting fire agencies to call in Jerryโs Rogue Jets for logistical support. The company, which typically offers scenic jet boat tours for tourists, now has three boats dedicated to the firefighting efforts. Two transporting crews and equipment, and one on standby for emergency medical evacuations.
Brandon Matthews, one of the jet boat pilots assigned to the effort, said he makes between two and five trips a day along the river, carrying personnel and gear to and from active fire zones. “It’s kind of more like the historical, you know, way the boats got startedโ said Matthews, who has worked with Jerryโs Rogue Jets for seven years. โIt’s been pretty cool, you know, and they used to deliver the mail and now we’re, we’re bringing supplies and personnel up to a wildfire.โ
