About Us
The La Pine Rural Fire Protection District was formed by vote of the community and order of the Board of Commissioners of Deschutes County on May 12, 1971. Prior to that time, the La Pine Rural Fire Protection Association provided fire protection to the community. Regulations pertaining to formation of rural fire protection districts are contained in ORS Chapter 478. A Board of Directors consisting of five members administers the Fire District, each elected for a term of four years. The purpose of the Fire District is to provide fire protection and other public safety services to people living in and visiting the Fire District's protection area. Property taxes are levied, as provided by ORS 478 to meet the cost of fire protection and other expenses of the Fire District. In 1987, the Fire District assumed ambulance services and has been providing paramedic advance life support services since then. Also at that time the community decided that ambulance user fees rather than tax dollars were to be the major supporter of the new service.
Over the years many neighborhoods and communities have annexed into the Fire District in order to obtain services. In 1980, the Wildriver and Newberry Estates subdivisions were annexed. In 1987 Spring River Estates subdivision was ordered by the Board of County Commissioners. In 1988 Wagon Trail Ranch subdivision (Klamath County). In 1992 the Sunriver Business Park annexed. In 2003 Old Howard Estates (Klamath County) and three small miscellaneous areas were annexed into the district. In 2006 the Haner Park area petitioned and was annexed. In 2010 the Darlene Way neighborhood was annexed into the District, and most recently in the Fall of 2011, Little River Ranch (Klamath County) subdivision became part of Fire District Annexations are always initiated by the residents themselves, although the Fire District does assist with guidance for those undertaking the process per ORS Chapter 198.
The La Pine Rural Fire Protection District is bordered on the North by the community of Sunriver and shares a close mutual aid relationship with the Sunriver Fire Department. It is bordered on the East by US Forest and BLM lands generally following the TransCanada gas line from North to South. The Fire District is bordered on the South by Klamath County with Old Howard Estates, Wagon Trail Ranch and Little River Ranch included in the La Pine Fire District. Also to the South in Klamath County is the Crescent Rural Fire Protection District, which the District also has a close working relationship with, as well as Walker Range Forest Protection Association. The District is bordered on the West by US Forest and BLM lands generally following the lines of demarcation of the inhabited and uninhabited lands (from about three to seven miles for the Eastern border). The Fire District covers about 115 square miles of area. The ambulance service area in both Deschutes and Klamath County covers more than 1000 square miles. The Fire District is an active participant in the Central Oregon Fire Chief's Mutual Aid Group. The Fire District also has five nationally recognized Firewise communities - Caldera Springs, Crosswaters, Wild River, River Meadows, and Fall River.