California Wildfires: Oregon Firefighters, Equipment Head South

In response to a request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a U.S. state-to-state mutual aid system, the Oregon State Fire Marshal and Office for Emergency Management have activated local firefighting crews to assist with the wildfires currently ravaging California.

Californian officials on Tuesday formally requested help from Oregon and Arizona-based firefighting services, and by Wednesday afternoon several local fire districts were crossing the California border.

"Oregon fire agencies have stepped up to the plate to help our neighbors to the south," Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said in a statement. "California helped us with the fires in southern Oregon this year and I am proud that we can return the favor in their time of need."

In a Facebook post on the Forest Grove Fire & Rescue page, which also shared an AccuWeather video about the California fires, Forest Grove Fire & Rescue spokesman Dave Nemeyer announced which fire groups from the Western Washington County area were heading south to provide aid:

"Late last night we received a request from the state fire marshal’s office to send an engine and crew to California," Nemeyer wrote. "The scope of devastation in the beautiful wine country down there is unprecedented, and together with our partners from the Cornelius Fire Department and Gaston Rural Fire District we sent a mixed crew of firefighters from our agencies with an engine from Forest Grove and an engine from Cornelius.

"At midnight last night they joined other departments from not only our county, but from all across the state, in a massive convoy of fire engines heading south on I-5 to help our neighbors and fellow Americans," he continued. "Costs for the equipment, people, and overtime required to cover stations back home during this deployment are reimbursed by the State of Oregon."

When asked why Forest Grove's fire crews felt it was important to answer the call for help, Nemeyer explained that for them it's all part of the job.

"For us, this is no different than any other time the bell rings," Nemeyer told Patch in a Facebook message. "We were called by our state fire marshal to respond if we could, we asked our volunteers and staff if they (could) commit to up to 12 days away from home, and they didn’t even bat an eye. I just got a text from our captain (4:45 p.m. Oct. 11), he said they arrived safe and are going to relieve a crew that's been on the line for 72 straight hours."

Portland Fire & Rescue, the Gresham Fire Department, and Port of Portland have also sent equipment and firefighters to California, according to Portland officials.

"Multnomah County is sending a strike team of type-one engines to assist at the North Bay Fire," the Portland Fire & Rescue statement said. "The five engines for the strike team will consist of one Gresham Fire engine, one Port of Portland (Airport) Fire engine, three Portland Fire engines, and a Chief Officer. The team has assembled, collected the wildfire deployment equipment that had been stowed for the season, just days ago, and are headed south to meet up with other resources from our state.

"While this request for inter-state mutual aid from California is nearly unprecedented, and comes very late in the season for Oregon firefighters, Multnomah County is fortunate to have the resources available," the statement continued. "Just a few weeks ago many of these same engines and firefighters were still battling the Eagle Creek Fire in the historic Columbia River Gorge."

Additional Oregon fire resources will deploy from Lane County, Linn and Benton counties, Marion County, Clatsop County, Jackson and Josephine counties, Yamhill County, and Klamath and Deschutes counties — totaling 10 active strike teams.

Related Patch Coverage:

• Northern California Wildfires: 21 Dead; Thousands Of Structures Destroyed; 'Pure Devastation'
• Raging Blaze Tears Through California Wine Country
• What A Warming Planet Really Means

Top Image: SANTA ROSA, CA - OCTOBER 11: An aerial view of homes that were destroyed by the Tubbs Fire on October 11, 2017 in Santa Rosa, California. At least 21 people have died in wildfires that have burned tens of thousands of acres and destroyed over 3,000 homes and businesses in several Northen California counties. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)