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Water Tanks

Have you noticed a number of large water tanks around the fire district?

May contain: city

McKenzie Fire & Rescue continues to work on a number of water resources for fire suppression. Plans include the 15,000-gallon water tanks you may have seen installed since 2020. 

Capacity & Locations

  • Walterville Fire Station - 24,000 gallons - *Shared with the fire suppression system for the Fire Station*
  • Camp Creek Church - 15,000 gallons
  • Walterville Elementary School - 15,000 gallons
  • Leaburg Fire Station - 15,000 gallons
  • Weyerhaeuser Rd 4000/Deerhorn Road - 15,000 gallons
  • McKenzie Bible Fellowship Church -  15,000 gallons
  • Vida Fire Station - 10,000 gallons

Why is this important?

While we continue to utilize the McKenzie River,  private tanks & water resources, and the very few hydrants we have within our fire district, these may not always be the fastest, safest, or most efficient.

There are many areas where river access is not close to the roadway, and the closest draft site for water supply may be miles away. There is also a number of areas that have one or more large commercial structures, with no immediate water supply on site or for the general surrounding area.

With the EWEB Leaburg power canal having been drawn down for the past several years, many of our regular draft sites have been impacted or removed. This includes channels and sites that feed off of the canal.  This doesn't mean we won't continue to use the Walterville power canal, but for now, the Leaburg canal and indirect sites fed from the canal, cannot be used.

As volunteerism continues to decline, we simply lack the man power to have multiple people (for safety) at a boat launch, when they can be better utilized on the fireground dealing with the immediate threat. Additionally, these ramps have become very congested, and often vehicles are parked in a manner which is not conducive to efficient / safe water supply operations. This doesn't mean we won't use them, but the tanks are often a faster, more reliable, and safer alternative.

 

These tanks all have level gauges that should be visible from the roadways - This is where you can help!

If you notice that the gauge is NOT within 2 feet of the BOTTOM of the tank, this means that the tank is NOT full (we know, very counter-intuitive) please let us know - Give us a call at 541-896-3311.

As funds become available, we will continue to consider these tanks for a number of additional locations.

Any Questions - Please contact us at 541-896-3311