Bend Fire & Rescue Announces Melissa Steele as New Deputy Fire Marshal of Wildfire Preparedness

News Release

For Immediate Release
October 2 2025

Bend Fire & Rescue is pleased to announce that Melissa Steele has been named Deputy Fire Marshal of Wildfire Preparedness, a new position with the Department that is dedicated to increasing community preparedness and resilience in the face of wildfire.

Steele has been in the fire service for 24 years, first as a wildland firefighter and emergency medical technician with the United States Forest Service and then with CalFire in Paradise, California. She was hired as a fire inspector with Bend Fire in 2022.

Steele stood out as an ideal candidate because of her expertise in wildfire prevention, stemming from her experience in the field and vast professional development over the years.

"We have been so impressed by all Melissa has accomplished in her time with Bend Fire. Her passion for this work and the respect she has earned across Central Oregon will help her be successful in this role," said Deputy Chief of Prevention Jason Bolen.

Her work as an inspector included investigating fire causes, ensuring safety and compliance with fire codes, educating the public on how to prevent fires and performing home assessments for community members who want to mitigate their wildfire risk. Steele also developed the Own Your Zone: First Five Feet program, which teaches residents simple actions that can be taken to protect their homes and properties from wildfire. She has attended preparedness fairs and events on behalf of the Department, sits on many regional committees that address wildfire preparedness and emergency planning, and supports Firewise USA® neighborhoods by attending and speaking at education events. Steele was awarded the Bend Fire & Rescue Appreciation Award for exceptional service in fire safety and community outreach after only a year of working with the Department.

"I've lived and worked in communities that were lost to wildfire," said Steele. "My lifelong goal is to see that Bend is a success story, so I'm looking for every opportunity to work with the community and local partners on laying a strong foundation of prevention before we are threatened by disaster."

In 2023, Steele earned the title of National Fire Academy Instructor, teaching a Fire Adapted Communities Course at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) headquarters in Emmitsburg, Maryland, sharing her work with local neighborhoods and partners to create wildfire-ready communities on a national stage.

The Bend City Council is prioritizing the Bend community's readiness for large-scale emergencies like wildfire this biennium, with several of the 2025-2027 Council Goals directed towards improving wildfire resiliency. Specific actions within these goals include expanding community outreach and education.

"It's no longer unusual to hear of entire communities being destroyed by wildfire, and Bend is no exception to this possibility. Council has heard from the community that there is a need for more resources devoted to educating and empowering residents to act ahead of an incident," said Bend Mayor Melanie Kebler. "Having someone as capable as Melissa to help us carry out our goals for wildfire resiliency will greatly impact our collective risk as a community."

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