A team of 65 firefighters from Australia and New Zealand has been dispatched to aid in battling the Pacific Northwest’s most massive wildfires. These brave firefighters have been assigned to various fires, including the Willamette Complex South on the Willamette National Forest. Their expertise and assistance are greatly appreciated in this critical situation.
The Willamette Complex South consists of seven fires that were caused by lightning, covering a total area of 12,737 acres as of Friday afternoon. Among these fires, the Coffeepot Fire is currently the largest in the complex, spanning 6,120 acres. As of Friday afternoon, it has reached a containment level of 35%.
After receiving briefings at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, the firefighters were assigned to various fires.
Jacque Buchanan, the regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region, expressed heartfelt gratitude to their colleagues from Australia and New Zealand for their invaluable support. Buchanan emphasized the significance of their expertise in tackling the ongoing and unprecedented fire season.
Australia has sent firefighters to the U.S. through mutual wildland fire assistance eight times since 2000.
Air quality advisory in place for parts of southern, central Oregon
The Oregon Department of Environmental Quality has issued an air quality advisory for Deschutes, Klamath, and Lake counties due to the wildfire smoke from the fires in Oregon and California. The advisory is expected to remain in effect until Monday afternoon, as stated by the DEQ.
The DEQ expects smoke to persist in several counties until Monday afternoon. These include eastern Douglas, northern Harney, Jackson, eastern Lane, and northern Malheur counties.
