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Westfir leaders propose small 'attack team' and partnerships with Oak Ridge Fire to improve wildfire response
Summary
Council member Rick described the city’s wildfire risk and discussed forming a small, mobile local attack team—with micro‑tankers and pumps—to hold fires until Oak Ridge Fire Department’s larger equipment arrives; residents volunteered to participate.
Council member Rick told the work session Westfir is "rated high hazard in wildfire risk" and recounted a recent local fire that escalated into the wildland interface because the city lacked nearby firefighting equipment. He said the council is exploring a small, mobile attack‑team concept: compact tankers with a pump that could be driven to the scene to hold a fire until Oak Ridge Fire Department arrives with heavy apparatus.
Residents responded positively. One resident offered, "I would most definitely volunteer for that," and others noted local wildland firefighting experience in Hemlock. Rick and other participants emphasized training requirements: committee members and volunteers would need formal qualifications or supervision from Oak Ridge Fire. Rick said the city is "in discussion with Oak Ridge Fire Department" about what support the department can provide and that further details are pending.
Why it matters: Westfir’s geography, small staff and high wildfire hazard rating make local interim response capacity a public‑safety priority. The council signaled interest in further feasibility work and in coordinating training and liability/operational details with Oak Ridge Fire Department.
