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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Equipment stolen from crews fighting Oregon wildfire

BROOKINGS, Ore. – A thief made away with thousands of dollars of firefighting equipment taken from trucks parked at a Brookings high school.

The Eugene Register-Guard reported that the equipment was taken off two Lane County Task Force fire rigs that parked at the school Friday night after making a more than 230-mile drive to assist in fighting the Chetco Bar Fire in southwestern Oregon. Lane County Fire Defense Board Chief Chad Minter says they discovered the trucks were ransacked early Saturday morning. The missing items included an oxygen tank, a firefighter’s bag, a flat-headed ax and a firefighter’s jacket. A couple of items, including the oxygen tank, were found discarded nearby.

The firefighters filed a police report, and Minter says he is unaware of any arrests for the crime.