CAL FIRE presented its 2024 Siskiyou Unit annual report to the Siskiyou County Board of Supervisors and warned county leaders that declining volunteerism, rising equipment and training costs, and repeated fires involving suspected pesticide or fumigant contamination are straining local fire response.

Greg Rose, CAL FIRE unit chief and Siskiyou County fire warden, told the board that in fiscal 2024–25 the CAL FIRE Siski unit conducted 47 fuel-reduction projects, completed 1,331 acres of broadcast burning and treated a total of 8,509 acres in the county when combined with local government efforts. Rose said the county’s contract with CAL FIRE for 2024–25 was estimated at more than $700,000, with the county expected to pay under $400,000 — a structure the chief said provides “significant savings to the county.”

Bernie Paul, South Valley fire chief and president of the County Chiefs Association, and other chiefs described worsening volunteer shortages, escalating personal-protective-equipment and turnout costs, and expensive engine repairs. Paul said local departments have used regional training, cadet and sleeper programs, and grants to shore up capacity but that many small departments remain underfunded.

Both CAL FIRE and chiefs raised an additional, urgent concern: several recent fires burned through sites that may have contained imported fumigants or pesticides, producing hazardous conditions that have injured or sickened firefighters and, in some cases, deputies. Rose said he has discussed the problem with California EPA staff and described Siskiyou County as among the counties with the most notable exposures for that class of chemical. He said EPA offered to provide recognition training for local responders.

Supervisors and chiefs asked for faster action. Multiple supervisors urged staff to convene an emergency briefing or special meeting that includes the county public health officer, CAL FIRE, the chiefs association and state or federal agencies (EPA was named) to establish an alert and response protocol. One supervisor emphasized documenting every exposure and medical evaluation so the county can track long-term effects and share data with state and federal partners.

CAL FIRE and chiefs also discussed structural options to sustain service, including regional consolidation and a mix of paid and volunteer staffing, and highlighted grant opportunities such as the Volunteer Capacity Grant (match, up to $20,000) as an existing funding pathway for equipment and turnout gear.

Ending: The board asked staff to return with options for an emergency briefing on hazardous-chemical exposures, steps to standardize exposure documentation for responders, and a plan to explore funding and structural options to maintain fire and medical response across Siskiyou County.