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State fire marshal resigns hours after being put on leave, but officials are mum on why

A tree burns alongside Jennie Road in Mehama on Wednesday, September 9. (Amanda Loman/Salem Reporter)

Jim Walker, the Oregon state fire marshal since 2014, resigned on Saturday, just hours after his bosses at the Oregon State Police put him on paid administrative leave.

Superintendent Travis Hampton put Walker on leave Friday night but has yet to explain the circumstances. His agency said there was an internal investigation underway and that it was a “personnel matter.”

Walker has been replaced by Mariana Ruiz-Temple, deputy state fire marshal who has been a fixture at state media briefings in recent days with Gov. Kate Brown. She was named acting state fire marshal and then was permanently given the job later Saturday by Hampton.

 In first announcing Walker’s leave, Hampton said in a statement: “Mariana is assuming this position as Oregon is in an unprecedented crisis which demands an urgent response. This response and the circumstances necessitated a leadership change.”

A state source knowledgeable about the circumstances said state officials, including Hampton, lost confidence in Walker’s ability to lead a crucial agency during the wildfires, culminating in Friday’s decision to put him on paid leave.

Gov. Kate Brown said of the appointment of Ruiz-Temple, “Mariana has led with grace, transparency and courage. She embodies the experience Oregon needs to face this crisis, in this moment.”

Mariana Ruiz-Temple was named Oregon state fire marshal Saturday in a fast change in command at one of the state agencies with primary duty for the state’s wildfires. (Oregon State Police photo)

Walker was deputy state fire marshal from 2009 and appointed state fire marshal in 2014. He previously worked for the Oregon Forestry Department.

The state fire marshal’s office works with federal wildfire teams to coordinate responses. The fire marshal’s office generally organizes structure protection in fire zones, mobilizing local fire departments from around Oregon to safeguard homes and buildings as possible.

The rapid change in command comes as Oregon faces a catastrophic fire season that has displaced thousands and left at least four people dead in the Beachie Creek Fire burning east of Salem.