The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, activated its Agency Operations Center Wednesday, December 6th and deployed 15 strike teams with equipment and personnel who are now actively engaged in assisting with the wildfires in California. All Oregon resources are assigned to assist with the Thomas Fire burning near Ventura, California. The California Office of Emergency Services reports that the Thomas Fire is at 230,500 acres and is 15% contained. “Oregon resources are doing great work and their morale is good,” said Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. “We continue to be proud of our firefighters professionalism and effective intergration with California resources during these difficult fires.” In addition to OSFM’s deployed resources, the Oregon Department of Forestry has also deployed 60 personnel and 25 engines to assist with the California wildfires. Be sure to follow the OSFM on Facebook/Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal and Twitter @OSFM for regular updates. California made the request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact a national state-to-state mutual aid system. The EMAC request is sent directly to Oregon Emergency Management who contact and coordinate with the appropriate Oregon agency to fulfill the requests.
