Hard work, ‘high spirits’: Oregon firefighters busy laying fire line hose, protecting homes in Southern California
LOS ANGELES (KTVZ) – Strike teams of Oregon firefighters wrapped up their second 24-hour shift Monday morning, helping thousands of others from around the region work to stop the flames and protect homes and structures from destructive, deadly wildfires.
The Oregon State Fire Marshal said in a Monday morning Facebook update, “During their latest shift, some of the strike teams worked on establishing a 3,500-foot fire line hose lay in the Topanga area. Others were on focused structure protection and putting out hot spots ahead of expected winds today.
"We're extremely proud of the work they are doing," the agency said. "They remain in high spirits as they carry out our unified mission of protecting people and property."
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Oregon Dept. of Forestry news release:
ODF Resource Update
SALEM, Ore. – The Oregon Department of Forestry’s six strike teams have been working alongside CalFire to suppress the wildfires in Los Angeles County.
As of this morning, there are three strike teams (which is equal to 15 engines) assigned to the Palisades Fire and three strike teams assigned to the Eaton Fire. Our firefighters’ duties vary, spanning from initial attack to mop-up operations.
The rumor that firefighters were held up or denied due to emissions testing is NOT true. Upon arriving at the Sacramento Command Center, ODF engines underwent vehicle inspections for safety purposes. While in California, CalFire is responsible for the safety of our firefighters and took necessary steps to ensure that safety before sending them to the front lines.
A strike team consists of five Type 6 engines with two to four firefighters per engine, plus a strike team leader. In total, the Oregon Department of Forestry deployed 30 Type 6 engines and 70 firefighters.
The Oregon Department of Forestry is extremely proud of the work our firefighters are doing to support California and the “Whatever it takes” attitude that is brought to every task.
ODF’s strike teams’ expenses will be reimbursed by the state of California.
