Firefighters move between fire trucks lined up on Finley Butte Road as a fire department SUV approaches on Darlene 3 Way during firefighting operations at the Darlene Fire near La Pine on Tuesday afternoon. 

Maybe, and we hope, the worst of the Darlene 3 Fire is over.

If you see a firefighter, thank them.

Congress has not gotten around to formalizing a raise given to wildland firefighters in 2021. It is set to expire on Sept. 30. About 20% of the wildland firefighter jobs needed in Oregon and Washington are currently unfilled, OPB reported. It seems likely that percentage will grow if Congress does not act.

If you have the time and the ability, take a look at your fire prevention. Is your property more like a stone or kindling? There are a lot of great ideas about how to create a defensible space. Check out this website: tinyurl.com/DefensibleOR. Wildfires can leap ahead by miles by a spark on the wind. Don’t let that spark have a happy landing spot on your watch.

If you are thinking about fireworks for the Fourth of July, we love them, too. This year, leave them to the professional displays. It’s a requirement in some places, such as Bend. Where it’s optional, take the safe option.

Just before Bend implemented a fireworks ban in 2021, somebody shot off a multi-shot cake firework. The ensuing fire destroyed a stretch of arborvitae at Bend’s Stover park. That could have been a home.