Thirty-one Department of Natural Resources employees, who are trained as firefighters, are currently helping to contain wildfires in Oregon, California, Washington and Idaho.
A hand crew comprised of 20 DNR employees was sent to Medford, Oregon, and assigned as an initial attack force tasked with suppressing a 20-acre fire burning in rugged terrain. Another 11 are carrying out essential fire-line leadership positions assigned to numerous wildfires in the northwest.
"Our staff has been highly trained to handle situations like this and are ready to go whenever and wherever they're needed," said Bill O'Neill, chief of the DNR's Forest Resources Division. "Cooperative efforts between counties, states and countries are crucial during emergency situations."
The DNR will continue to provide assistance to the national fire efforts while fire conditions remain critical. Nationally, there are nine large, uncontained fires currently burning, with 129 new fires that started Aug. 18.
When sent on out-of-state assignments, the DNR is fully reimbursed for all costs associated with the support.
O'Neill stressed that while some employees were sent to assist western wildfire efforts, the state is still well-equipped to handle wildfires should one occur in Michigan.
"The opportunity to assist other states and federal agencies allows DNR staff to improve our skills and maintain high-level qualifications," he said. "The skills our men and women pick up when they're out of state are brought back and utilized when they are managing fires back at home."
O'Neill added that because of Michigan's national cooperative agreement, the DNR received fire suppression assistance from other states and federal agencies during two critical incidents in recent years. This occurred in 2007 on the 18,000-acre Sleeper Lake Fire and two years ago on the 21,000-acre Duck Lake Fire.
"With low fire danger in Michigan, we are in a position to assist these other agencies today," he said. "They came to our defense during a critical time, and now we're there to return the favor."
For more information about the DNR's fire management efforts, visit www.michigan.gov/firemanagement.
Contact: Paul Kollmeyer, 517-284-5866 or Ed Golder, 517-284-5815
