The Office of State Fire Marshal (OSFM) has mobilized three task forces, comprised of 52 members of the Oregon fire service, who will arrive at their staging area later tonight in the Napa Valley, California, to assist with the LNU Lightning Complex fire, threatening structures and property.
California Department of Forestry & Fire Protection (Cal Fire) officials in the Sonoma-Lake-Napa Unit, covering the Napa Valley, are managing the fire response. As of this afternoon, Cal Fire reported that the LNU Lightning Complex fire covered 46,225 acres and was 0 percent contained.
The OSFM mobilized the task forces following a request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC) from California. The request allows for the OSFM to mobilize resources through the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System (OFMAS). The task forces are comprised of Oregon’s structural firefighting agencies, which provide structural firefighting and all-hazards assistance.
The current deployment marks the fourth year in a row that the OSFM has mobilized task forces through the OFMAS and deployed them to support firefighting efforts in California, following requests made through the EMAC.
In late October and November 2019, the OSFM sent 15 strike teams to respond to multiple fires in northern California, including the Burris Fire in Mendocino County, the Kincade Fire in Sonoma County and the Ranch Fire in Tehama County.
In 2018, the OSFM sent three strike teams to the Mendocino Complex Fire starting in late July 2018, and then another 15 strike teams to the Camp Fire in November 2018. In October 2018, also through an EMAC request, the OSFM sent two incident management teams to Florida to respond to Hurricane Michael.
In November 2017, the OSFM mobilized 15 strike teams to respond to an EMAC request from California to fight wildfires. In December 2017, California sent another request for assistance on the Thomas Fire, near Ventura. The OSFM sent 15 strike teams in response.