SALEM, Ore. - For nearly 60 days, the Oregon National Guard has supported wildland firefighting crews in multiple capacities across the state. Whether assisting with medical evacuation, water buckets or hand crews, more than 200 Soldiers and Airmen answered the call.
The Oregon Department of Forestry requested the Guard’s help with regional fire suppression efforts beginning July 17.
Guard members were placed in state active duty status for the Oregon Emergency Response System missions, and they were used on a “last in, first out” basis to support the Oregon Department of Forestry, U.S. Forest Service, and other wildland fire teams.
During his first week on the Telephone Fire near Burns, Oregon Army National Guard Spc. John Canche, with Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 3rd Battalion, 116th Cavalry Squadron, spent his days “chipping, hot spot gridding, and taking classes from the medics,” soaking up information that later “helped us for the next week on the Diamond Complex,” near Chemult.
Despite the move from the Telephone Fire to the Diamond Complex, “we wanted to do more,” Canche said. “We were excited. We wanted to have a bigger impact. Crew Six was really gung-ho even though the days were long, chipping for hours on end, but everyone did the work and we gave it our best effort.”
Oregon Air National Guard Senior Airman Adriana Scott, with the 173rd Fighter Wing, was camping in the Italian Alps when she got the word she needed to be back in a few days.
Scott said that after three years of working on wildland fires as a member of the Oregon Guard, you know what to expect and you have to be flexible because things can change every day. “That’s why Guard members are fairly good at doing this job.”
One thing Canche wasn’t expecting was waking up to light snow one morning, but he was prepared and had enough gear to stay warm.
“Bring warm clothes,“ Scott said. “It’s important to get sleep. Shifts are physical and long.”
Not dissuaded, Canche said he’ll be back. “Oh yeah, in a heartbeat. I’m going to do it next year. If they call me up, I will say yes, and definitely bring a lot of socks.”
Oregon Army National Guard aviators, the first Oregon Guard asset called up, dropped more than 227,000 gallons of water on fires across the state and provided critical medical evacuation support. Stationed forward from their usual homes in Pendleton and Salem, CH-47 Chinooks and HH-60M Black Hawk helicopters jumped from John Day to Redmond and Roseburg.
While Oregon Guard hand-crew teams and aviation crews were released in waves starting mid-August, one HH-60M Black Hawk medevac crew remained on duty through Sept. 3 in Redmond.
Black Hawk crews also supported non-fire related medical evacuations, helping injured hikers, bikers and climbers in coordination with the Deschutes and Linn County sheriff offices.
As of Sept. 8, more than 128 active fires dotted the state, with more than 1.3 million acres burned across Oregon.