Active-duty military firefighters arrive to help fight Idaho wildfires

BOISE (KIVI) – Over 250 active-duty military personnel landed at the National Interagency Fire Center Saturday to help fight wildfires burning in the Boise and Payette National Forests.

The firefighters come from Joint Base Lewis-McChord and will be assisting with fire suppression efforts for up to 30 days.

The country is currently at a National Preparedness Level of 5, the highest level possible, which means that firefighting resources are heavily committed.

The military firefighters will begin their first day on the fire lines Monday, Aug.19.

“What you see here is the mobilization of active duty military from Joint Base Lewis-McChord. They’re here to assist us with Wildfire efforts in the state of Idaho,” said Ben Newburn, the Regional Fire Director for the Intermountain Region of the US Forest Service.

Newburn says periods of extreme fire activity — like we’re seeing in Idaho now — leaves local resources hard to come by.

“Right now we find ourselves in national preparedness level five. Within the geographic area, we’re also at preparedness level five, which means we’re short of firefighters,” Newburn said. “We’re finding our resources stretched rather thin and so this influx from the military will help us gain containment on our existing fires and allow us to also address any future fires we may see in the next week or two.”

National Preparedness level 5 is the highest level possible, which means that national firefighting resources are heavily committed. Newburn tells me that’s when the Forest Service often reaches out to the military for firefighting help.

“The Department of Defense has a long-standing relationship with the national forests and it’s been going on since Yellowstone fires back in 1988,” says Colonel Camelia Orzech, the Idaho State Emergency Preparedness Liaison Officer with the U.S. Army.

These service members who will fight Idaho wildfires have been thoroughly trained by crews at NIFC.

“Soldiers are always ready, so we’re here to help and make sure that the residents of Idaho stay safe and preserve some of our national resources,” says Orzech.

“The mobilization of of this half battalion from Joint Base Lewis-McChord will both help us spell firefighters that are already out on the line, get them much-needed time off before they go back into the fire fight, but they will also augment our response where we have critical needs on the fire line,” says Newburn.