About the Hazeldell Fire District

The Hazeldell Rural Fire District (HRFD), is a taxing district, specifically for Fire Protection.  The District was formed in December of 2002 and consists of 23 square miles located in the unincorporated area around the City of Oakridge and the City of Westfir.   The District is governed by a 5 member board consisting of elected board members residing in the HRFD.  

HRFD contracts fire suppression services from the City of Oakridge, Oakridge Fire Department.  HRFD has an Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) with the City of Oakridge for fire protection and administrative operations.  HRFD owns a station at Dead Mountain Road that houses fire suppression apparatus from both HRFD and Oakridge Fire Department, as well as a water tender located at Oakridge Fire Station to respond to calls in the District.  The Dead Mountain station also houses a type 6 fire engine to respond to vegetation fires and is owned by the Oregon Dept. of Forestry.

Rural Fire Districts are provided for by Oregon State Statute Chapters 198 (Special Districts) and 478 (Fire Districts). Copies of these statutes and the applicable Oregon Administrative Rules are available at:  oregonlegislature.gov/bills_laws/ors/ors198.html

Ambulance and Emergency Medical Services

Advanced Life Support Ambulance Services are operated and paid by the Oakridge Fire Department for residents of HRFD.

History of the Formation of the Hazeldell Rural Fire Protection District

In March of 2001, a group of citizens met at the Oakridge Fire Station to discuss the fire protection needs of homeowners outside of the city limits. This public meeting discussed the lack of fire protection and the need to establish a rural fire district to provide that protection.

A steering committee was formed and began to meet several times a month to determine the steps required to establish a fire district. These meetings were advertised in the local newspaper The Dead Mountain Echo and citizen input was encouraged.  Boundary lines for a proposed district were drawn up. In November 2001, an informational mailing was sent to every home within those boundaries. In a question-and-answer format, the mailing attempted to answer questions that had arisen during the open steering committee
meetings.

In 2002, volunteers from the steering committee gathered signatures to put the measure before the voters, and in October, a town hall meeting was held at the Circle Bar Golf Club to discuss the issue.  Panelists included: the Mayors of Oakridge and Westfir, the City Administrator and Fire Chief of Oakridge, representatives from the U.S. Forest Service, the Oregon Dept. of Forestry, and the steering committee.  About 25 interested citizens attended the meeting to comment and ask questions.  The measure was included in the Nov. 5th, 2002 ballot, and was approved by a majority of the voters. The Board of Directors was sworn in on December 5, 2002, and the operation of the District began immediately.  Establishing an intergovernmental agreement with The City of Oakridge and the Oakridge Fire Department provided the district with fire suppression abilities, equipment housing, office space and training. It should be noted, for historical purposes, that almost immediately as the Board of Directors began their work of creating a strong and responsive fire district, a group organized to petition for the dissolution of the District. The decision whether or not to place the matter on the ballot came before the Boundary Commission at its public hearing on June 28th, 2005.  The Commission decided to continue the District as a necessary and legitimate service to its residents.

Where is Hazelldell Rural Fire District?

Hazeldell Rural Fire District encompasses 23 square miles of unincorporated area around the City of Oakridge and the City of Westfir.   Below the map identifies:

• Hazeldell Fire District in dark green
• City of Oakridge in purple
• City of Westfir in light red
• At the top corner of the map is shown a pink border of 2,200 square miles of Ambulance Service Area under the City of Oakridge service area.
• Most of the area in light green is U.S. Forest Service Lands.

What is a Special District?