SALEM, Ore. — The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) announced Monday that it has begun mobilizing Oregon National Guard hand crews to help battle the many wildfires raging across the state, which have collectively grown to more than a million acres.
The wildfire State of Emergency that Gov. Tina Kotek declared earlier this month allows ODF to order in firefighting resources from the Oregon National Guard on an as-needed basis. Two medevac helicopters and other air support have already been in use.
Monday's order adds four hand crews, each consisting of 22 firefighters, two liaisons and two support personnel, according to a news release from the Oregon Department of Forestry. Half of the crews will be Air Guard members and the other half will be Army Guard members.
"The wildfire situation on the ground is dynamic and challenging, and we need all hands on deck," Kotek said in a statement. "I want to thank the Oregon National Guard for their dedication and cooperation in fighting Oregon's wildfires and protecting Oregon’s communities and natural resources."
The crews will go through a mobilization process to be placed on State Active Duty on Wednesday or Thursday and will then to be assigned to various fires by ODF.
A majority of them will be deployed to the Durkee Fire in eastern Oregon, which has grown to nearly 290,000 acres as of Monday and is about 50% contained. It's the largest wildfire in the state and was the largest wildfire in the country last week until the Park Fire in California surpassed it on Saturday.
Jessica Neujahr with ODF said crews are doing their best to prepare for an expected spike in temperatures next week, and urged Oregonians to make their own preparations for the rest of the wildfire season.
"Oregonians should be practicing wildfire prevention at every turn," she said. "The less fire hazards we have on the landscape, the better."