The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) agreed to send six strike teams (30 type 6 wildland engines) and other overhead positions to California to help fight the disastrous wildfires in Los Angeles. These wildfires combined with strong wind conditions in Los Angeles County have resulted in thousands evacuating and hazardous air quality.
ODF firefighters are anticipated to arrive at the incident command post on January 9th at which point they will be briefed on the situation and then assigned where needed. The two-week rotation in California will allow our firefighters to return the favor to our California partners, who sent resources to support Oregon last summer.
Deputy Director of Fire Operations Kyle Williams said, “The Oregon Department of Forestry’s leadership in the wildland firefighting arena makes our firefighters ready for any scenario and sending that expertise to California to help our fellow firefighters in their time of need is the least we can do to support our partners.” The 70 firefighters are being sent to California via state-to-state mutual assistance agreements with CalFire. When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high fire activity.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal has been monitoring and working with California throughout the event and received a request for assistance late Tuesday evening January 7th, 2025. As of midnight, the department has 15 strike teams made up of over 240 firefighters and 60 engines that will be mobilizing. The agency will continue to monitor and fill more requests as it progresses. The strike teams are from Clackamas, Clatsop, Central Oregon, Lane, Lincoln, Linn/Polk, two from Marion, Multnomah, Rogue Valley, Washington, Benton/Columbia, Douglas, and Polk and Yamhill counties.
According to CAL FIRE, firefighters are seeing extreme fire behavior, including short-and long-range spotting. Winds gusts up to 60 miles per hour are expected to continue through Thursday, increasing the dangerous situation. Firefighters and air resources will continue to work to protect the community and infrastructures and gain control over fire containment.
“Oregon and California have a strong partnership supporting each other. We both understand that fire does not recognize map lines, and we are ready to help each other whenever there is a need,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. “During our historic 2024 wildfire season, California sent us help and in their time of need, we are working as fast as possible to lend them support during this emergency.”
Oregon and California have had a strong working relationship with each other in wildfire response since 2017. We work with one goal in mind; protecting people, property, and critical infrastructure. The request from California came through the Oregon Department of Emergency Management and the Emergency Management Assistance Compact. The compact provides help during governor-declared emergencies or disasters by allowing states to send personnel, equipment, and supplies to support response and recovery efforts in other states. The strike teams will be reimbursed directly by California.
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