More Firefighters, Support Staff Deploy To Oregon Wildfires, Search Efforts
Sep 12, 2020, 10:58 AM | Updated: 10:50 pm
Damaged homes and cars are seen in a mobile home park destroyed by fire on September 10, 2020 in Phoenix, Oregon. Hundreds of homes in the town have been lost due to wildfire. (Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
(Photo by David Ryder/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – Firefighters from around the western United States have been activated to help with devastating wildfires in Oregon – including another 80 people from Salt Lake County.
Officials said personnel from the Draper, Salt Lake, South Jordan, West Jordan, West Valley fire departments and Unified Fire Authority deployed Saturday morning, along with search dogs and medical staff.
“We are there to help those local agencies that are just overwhelmed and work really hard, and we are just there to help them out,” UFA Batt. Chief Wade Russell said. “We like to go out and help the community, and this is an opportunity for us to expand and actually help other communities in the United States.”
Firefighters have been battling two large wildfires threatening several populated areas, including parts of Portland. Oregon Gov. Kate Brown said Friday dozens of people were missing.
Over 40,000 people have been evacuated. Another 500,000 have been told to leave their homes or prepare to do so.
Crews from Nevada and Washington were also deployed to offer support to the firefighting efforts.
Firefighters from the Utah County Fire Department returned home last Saturday after nearly three weeks helping fight wildfires in California.
