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Florida Forest Service Firefighters Deployed To Battle Oregon Wildfires
August 6, 2013
Three local Blackwater District Florida Forest Service members are among about two dozen being deployed to battle blazes in Oregon this week.
“The Florida Forest Service has some of the best and most skilled firefighters in the country,” said Florida Commissioner of Agriculture Adam H. Putnam, “Thanks to Florida’s persistent rainfall and current low wildfire danger, we are able to offer our talented personnel to support the protection of people, structures and natural resources in other states.”
Today, an Initial Attack Hand Crew of 20 Florida Forest Service firefighters will deploy to Oregon for two weeks alongside four additional crews from Florida, Georgia and Alabama. These firefighters will assist with front-line firefighting operations by using shovels, axes and rakes to manually create a fire break or fire line around the wildfire. Hand crews are critical to wildfire suppression in the western United States.
Four additional Florida Forest Service fire personnel will assist in a variety of other wildfire-related positions throughout Oregon. To date, the Florida Forest Service has also provided wildfire assistance to Colorado, Arizona, Alaska and Nevada.
Two additional Florida Forest Service employees are also serving as support staff for the Salmon River Complex of wildfires on California’s Klamath National Forest.
Pictured: The “Douglas Complex” fire tops a hill, part of over 10,000 acres burned in the Oregon wildfire. Photo courtesy Oregon Department of Forestry for NorthEscambia.com, click to enlarge.
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One Response to “Florida Forest Service Firefighters Deployed To Battle Oregon Wildfires”
To the fire fighters–please be careful and return safely.