For a number of reasons, this fire season has been a successful one for the agencies that respond to wildfires across Southern Oregon. We owe them a debt of gratitude for their diligence and hard work.

Fire crews this season have the advantage of new technology, including cameras that keep an eye on lightning strikes and others that watch over the wildland/urban interface where homes could be at risk from fires. The cameras let incident commanders know right away what resources to send without having to wait until the first firefighters arrive at a fire scene.

Fire officials also have the advantage of more money this year, thanks to the Oregon Legislature.

Senate Bill 762 has come in for considerable criticism over a wildfire risk map that still needs work, but that is only part of the legislation. SB 762 also provided increased funding that allowed fire districts to add staff — District 3, for example, now can field a wildland response unit on every shift, something that funding made possible. The Oregon Department of Forestry added engines and aircraft as well.

All of those improvements mean fire agencies have more to work with when fires break out. But more equipment can help only if it’s available when needed. When large fires erupt in multiple places at once — as happened in the Labor Day fires of 2020 — resources are stretched thin, and fires in remote forest locations can take second place to blazes that threaten homes and other structures.

So far this season, the extra resources have been deployed rapidly on every smoke that has ignited across the region. Last week, aircraft and ground crews were battling no fewer than 48 lightning-caused fires in Jackson and Josephine counties.

Of those, 17 had been completely extinguished by Friday morning.

The rapid response and effective attacks were welcome, but not all the news was good. On Thursday, a 25-year-old firefighter from Talent lost his life when a tree struck him as he fought the Rum Creek Fire near Galice. Logan Taylor, operator of a firefighting company contracted with ODF, was the second firefighter killed this month in Southern Oregon. A Michigan man died Aug. 10 while battling a fire north of Crater Lake.

Two other firefighters have been evacuated from fire lines after suffering heat-related illness this season.

These casualties are a tragic reminder that fighting fires is dangerous work. Fire crews put their lives on the line every time they respond to a new blaze. Safety precautions are paramount for fire agencies, but the best practices in the field can go only so far.

Our thanks to all who risk life and limb on the fire lines, and our heartfelt condolences to those left behind.