Bend Fire & Rescue has announced a new position dedicated to increasing community wildfire resilience and readiness.
The job is designed to protect people and property in Bend in an era when wildfires are burning larger and hotter due to climate change. Melissa Steele is Bend Fire & Rescueโs new deputy fire marshal of wildfire preparedness, the agency announced Thursday.
The hiring of Steele comes amid growing concerns about wildfire threatening lives and property in Bend, a city on the edge of the 1.6 million-acre Deschutes National Forest, an area where wildfires are fairly common from mid-summer into autumn.
Destructive wildfires in communities across the West, including Oregon, in recent years have prompted cities to rethink how to harden homes and improve wildfire response. Bend itself is no stranger to wildfire โ the 1990 Awbrey Hall Fire destroyed 22 homes and burned 3,500 acres. Then in 1996, the Skeleton Fire destroyed 19 homes and burned 18,000 acres. In 2014 the Two Bulls Fire threatened homes and the cityโs drinking water supply.
The recent Flat Fire near Sisters, along with recent fires in La Pine, have created new worries that fire can threaten communities across the region. The city of Bendโs 2025-2027 city council goals highlight the need for improved resiliency in the face of wildfire. The councilโs plan calls for increased property assessments and community outreach and education.
