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Oregon National Guard Activated To Assist With Firefighting Efforts

Ore. Dep. of Public Safety Standards and Training

Governor Brown has activated around 100 members of the Oregon National Guard to help with firefighting efforts at the High Cascade Complex near Crater Lake.

Eriks Gabliks with the Department of Public Safety Standards and Training says the National Guard will mostly be helping with mop-up so the more specialized fire personnel can return to more active roles.

“What activating the National Guard does is it allows the wildland agencies to take other resources and put them back into service in their local areas so that they do have that initial response capability,” says Gabliks. “So it helps with the resources and it give us more boots on the ground but it also lets those higher trained and more active units go back to their districts to be ready for that initial firefight.”

Gabliks says freeing up the higher trained units is important this early on in the fire season, especially with an anticipated million visitors to the state for Monday’s solar eclipse. It’s crucial people remain vigilant about fire safety in the coming weeks by observing fire restrictions and minding hazards such as lit cigarettes and driving cars near or on fields.