Environment DEC
From the August 2007 issue
DEC Forest Rangers, Staff and Volunteers Dispatched to Northeast Oregon
New York State Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner Pete Grannis recently announced that 10 DEC forest rangers, eight other DEC employees and two DEC volunteer wildland firefighters left for Oregon on July 18 to help combat raging wildfires on the Willowa-Whitman National Forest.
Tremendous Asset in the Fight
Lighting backfires to deprive the main fire of fuel is one technique that may be employed by the wildland fire crew in Oregon
"New York State's forest rangers are among the most highly trained, professional wildfire fighting teams in the nation," Commissioner Grannis said. "Throughout the years, our rangers have assisted neighboring states and Canadian provinces in controlling large scale and dangerous wildfires, protecting life and property and our beautiful natural resources. These forest rangers and firefighters will be a tremendous asset in the fight to halt the spread of wildfires in the northwest. I am extremely proud of their efforts and wish them a safe journey."
The firefighters were dispatched through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Forest Service. This agreement allows for the sharing and dispatching of firefighters throughout the country. The 20-person New York State wildland firefighting crew departed from the Albany International Airport early on the morning of July 18, and was expected to spend 14 days fighting fire, but the exact date of their return was undetermined as of this writing. The crew's initial assignment is expected to be on the Battle Creek Complex, which is currently listed as being nearly 3,000 acres in size with very few resources assigned. This fire complex is located about 28 miles northeast of Enterprise, Oregon.
More Information
The latest information about the fire complex is being posted on the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center website. The full press release, from which this story was excerpted, contains the complete list of firefighters in the New York State crew.
