After receiving support during Idaho’s wildfire seasons, our firefighters are headed to California

BOISE (Idaho Capital Sun) — Idaho firefighters are making their way to assist and protect communities threatened by wildfires burning in the greater Los Angeles area in southern California.

More than 100,000 people have been evacuated from their homes, and at least five fires are burning covering more than 45 square miles there, according to NBC News.

The state of Idaho is mobilizing five task forces in a response to a request from the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, according to a press release from the Idaho Office of Emergency Management.

“The Idaho Office of Emergency Management and the Idaho Fire Chiefs Association have coordinated efforts to evaluate available resources across the state,” and ” stand ready to provide additional assistance as needed,” the press release said.

As of Wednesday evening, 104 firefighters and 25 fire engines from Idaho were preparing to deploy this morning to support California’s response efforts, and the task forces are set to arrive in southern California on Friday, the press release stated. The task forces were mobilized from fire agencies throughout the state, including personnel from the city of Emmett and Kootenai County, as well as the Idaho National Laboratory in southern Idaho.

“Emergencies like these remind us of the critical importance of teamwork and mutual aid,” said Idaho Fire Chiefs Association President Kirk Carpenter in the release. “Idaho firefighters are prepared to join the fight in California, standing shoulder to shoulder with our partners to protect communities in harm’s way.”

The assistance compact has been invaluable to states facing wildfire, “ensuring that states can rely on each other during crises,” said Idaho Office of Emergency Management Director Brad Richy said in the release.

“After receiving support during our own wildfire seasons, Idaho is proud to return the favor by providing resources and personnel to help protect California’s communities,” he said.

The Emergency Management Assistance Compact was ratified by the U.S. Congress (Public Law 104-321) in 1996 and applies to all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. The compact’s members can share personnel and resources from all disciplines, protect personnel who deploy to emergencies and be reimbursed for mission-related costs, according to the compact’s website.

“The EMAC is a vital interstate compact that provides a proven mutual aid framework allowing states to share resources during times of disaster or emergency,” the release stated. “All costs associated with deploying resources under EMAC are paid for by the requesting state.”