15 Oregon Firefighting Teams Head To Los Angeles: Work On Palisades Fire Started
On Thursday, 15 Oregon strike teams arrived in Los Angeles, California, to help with the wildfires. Eleven of the teams started working on Friday morning.
Oregon Firefighters In California
Three hundred firefighters and 75 engines were assigned to the Palisades Fire, currently burning north of Los Angeles, to patrol for hotspots and work with California Fire and other state and federal agencies.
The 15 Oregon strike teams will be deployed for up to 14 days to protect homes and other buildings.
The teams completed a routine safety check with California Fire in Sacramento before heading to Southern California for inspections to ensure all engines on an emergency scene were equipped, mechanically sound, and able to respond. A safety check is necessary to ensure the safe deployment of firefighters.
The Department of the State Fire Marshall (OSFM) Agency Administrator Ian Yocum said, “With moving this amount of equipment and firefighters, safety has to be our highest priority,”
The deployment is one of the most significant out-of-state responses supported by the Oregon Fire Service and is similar to the 2017 response to Santa Monica and Napa.
The OSFM will stay in contact with its California counterparts to monitor their needs as they navigate this crisis. Yocum said, “Our Oregon strike teams are motivated, committed to what they do, and excited to get out to the line and help where needed.”
The CAL Fire Current Emergency Incidents webpage has information about the Palisades Fire and other California fires.