Oregon firefighters arrive in California, begin battling Palisades Fire
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Strike teams from Oregon are now hard at work helping to battle the Palisades Fire burning near Los Angeles.
According to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, 15 strike teams arrived Thursday and as of Friday morning 11 of the teams are already working to fight the flames.
In total, the teams are made up of 300 firefighters and 75 engines and they are assigned to battle the Palisades Fire to the North of Los Angeles.
The teams will be deployed in the area for 14 days protecting homes and other buildings, authorities said.
"We are in contact with our teams, and they are in good spirits. They've received their assignments and have started their work," Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple said. "I am honored to work alongside the Oregon fire service who raised their hands to say they will go without question. This shows their commitment to jump into action no matter what, embodying the Oregon spirit."
All of the teams completed safety checks before arriving, making sure that the engines were equipped and mechanically sound, ensuring safety for the firefighters, officials said.
"The vehicle safety check process was critical for our teams. With moving this amount of equipment and firefighters, safety has to be our highest priority," OSFM Agency Administrator Ian Yocum said. "Our Oregon strike teams are motivated, committed to what they do, and excited to get out to the line and help where they are needed."
This is one of the largest out-of-state responses that the Oregon Fire Service has supported, with similar responses to Santa Rosa and Napa in 2017.