Forestry Commission Deploys 25 Firefighters to Battle Wildfires in the Western U.S.
The Mississippi Forestry Commission has deployed a twenty-person hand crew to the Los Padres National Forest in California to assist with wildfire suppression efforts.
The fire currently covers 500 acres and is twenty-percent contained. The MFC crew will join four other crews also being deployed today from Ft. Smith, Arkansas to fight the wildfire in Los Padres.
Hand crews serve on the front line of wildland firefighting. These employees are trained in wildland firefighting tactics and work together in twenty-person teams to help control the wildfire by using hand tools to construct a “fireline” – a strip of land cleared of flammable materials and dug down to the mineral soil surrounding the wildfire. Hand crews also burn out fire areas and mop up after the fire has been controlled.
Five single resource personnel have also been deployed to assist with other wildfires in California, Idaho, Oregon, Wyoming, and Washington.
“We are extremely proud of our employees who are taking part in these efforts and helping our state and federal partners out West. Fighting the destructive power of wildfire means that our guys are out there in extreme conditions protecting people’s lives, homes, and natural resources” said Charlie Morgan, State Forester. “We wish them a safe trip and look forward to their return home in approximately two weeks.”
For up-to-date information on specific wildfire incidents, please visit: http://inciweb.nwcg.gov/
Resources:
Mississippi Forestry Commission Website – www.mfc.ms.gov
Click here to visit the MFC on Facebook
Click here to visit the MFC on Twitter
