NEW ORLEANS – The Louisiana National Guard activated 97 Soldiers to help fight wildfires in Beauregard Parish.
LANG helicopter crews began water-drop missions on Aug. 23, assisting the Louisiana Department of Agriculture and Forestry and the Louisiana State Fire Marshal office.
Five LANG Black Hawk helicopters dropped 348 loads (160,776 gallons) of water during 55.9 flight hours to the affected region.
Additional aviation assets, including one CH 47 Chinook helicopter from Oklahoma, have been coordinated through the nation’s Emergency Management Assistance Compact to support relief efforts.
The LANG deployed one engineer assessment team and 16 bulldozers with crew members from the 225th Engineer Brigade to Singer to help the Louisiana Forestry Department clear and widen fire lanes to prevent wildfires from spreading.
The engineering crews had completed 2,520 meters of linear firebreaks.
In coordination with local, state and federal agencies, the Louisiana National Guard established liaison officers in Beauregard Parish to facilitate support as the situation develops.