Oregon Dept. of Forestry firefighters returning from S. California

More than 60 firefighting personnel from Oregon Department of Forestry districts and Coos and Douglas Forest Protective Associations will be returning to Oregon this holiday weekend from Southern California, where they have been helping battle the Thomas Fire.

That fire is now reported as 60 percent contained, ODF officials said Friday. The firefighters will be returning in the same 25 fire engines in which they traveled to California.

The ODF and association firefighters have been engaged on the fire northwest of Los Angeles for almost two weeks. During that time, the Thomas Fire has grown to more than 272,000 acres, almost equal to the 2003 Cedar Fire in San Diego, which has stood as the largest wildfire in California in modern times.

Oregon sent the largest contingent of fire engines and personnel from out of state to help California with the massive blaze, which began on Dec. 4. Earlier this week, some 300 other Oregon firefighters deployed to California through the Oregon Office of the State Fire Marshal were demobilized.

Unusually prolonged Santa Ana winds spread the fire through rugged terrain in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties. The lack of significant rainfall in the area since February provided ample dead and dry fuel that carried the fire deep into the Los Padres National Forest as well as nearby communities.

The ODF and association firefighters dug control lines and put out spot fires during their assignment.

Their mobilization was part of a mutual-aid agreement that this summer saw California firefighters travel north to help during an especially intense outbreak of wildfires in Oregon.

At the peak of the Thomas Fire, the ODF and association firefighters were part of a virtual army of more than 8,400 firefighters assigned to the fire. Wind-driven flames forced the evacuation of thousands of area residents and destroyed more than a thousand structures, according to Cal Fire’s official information website.

“We’re proud of the job our firefighters did helping our neighbors to the south,” said Oregon State Forester Peter Daugherty. “Other states, including California, were there when Oregon needed help over the past few years and we’re glad we’re able to reciprocate. Wildfire is a common threat across the Western states, and sharing resources when they can safely be spared is a key way to meet the challenge.”

For the latest information about the Thomas Fire, visit Cal Fire’s incident information page at http://www.fire.ca.gov/current_incidents.