ARLINGTON, Va. - National Guard members in California and Oregon were busy helping civilian agencies fight aggressive wildfires that have consumed tens of thousands of acres and triggered widespread evacuations.
In California, where Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency July 31, nearly 600 Guard members were helping as 10 fires raged.
Some Soldiers were undergoing training to join fire hand crews within a few days, according to officials.
About 15 members of the Nevada National Guard were assisting with two helicopters and heavy equipment in California, and California’s 146th Air Wing deployed two Modular Airborne Firefighting Systems on the Rocky Fire, which had charred 67,000 acres.
In Oregon, where at least four fires are burning, nearly 20 Guard members were on duty assisting the firefighting efforts.
And in drought-stricken Puerto Rico, two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters and an engineering unit from the National Guard assisted the territory’s fire department and Emergency Management Agency in dousing a three-day fire. That mission has concluded.
According to the adjutant general of the Puerto Rico National Guard, Col. Marta Carcana, the helicopters’ “Bambi Buckets” were loaded with water from a dam in the Gurabo River to ensure that potable water sources were not being used.
“Puerto Rico has been in a severe drought for months, and we made sure that important drinking water wasn’t affected with this mission. As soon as we got the request from PRFD, we alerted our pilots. They had the equipment already prepared. Last year the aviation team had practice exercises, so they knew what to expect and got the helicopters ready.” Carcana said.
The Puerto Rico fire affected nearly 1,000 acres of land, including rural and neighborhood areas.
Contributing: Puerto Rico National Guard and Steve Marshall, National Guard Bureau