September 17th, 2020 by WCBC Radio

As the West Coast of the United States continues to battle historic wildfires, the State of Maryland is lending its support to response efforts in California and Oregon. 

“Our fellow states have never hesitated to support the State of Maryland in times of crisis, and we stand ready to support those who now face an unprecedented wildfire season,” said Governor Larry Hogan. “Our prayers are with all those who have been affected, injured, or displaced by these devastating fires.” 

Through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), states are able to offer one another aid across a broad range of disciplines in response to natural disasters and other emergencies. Maryland is fulfilling two EMAC requests for the State of Oregon:

• A geographic information system specialist from the Anne Arundel County Fire Department will deploy this week to support the Oregon State Emergency Coordination Center’s efforts to track wildland fire activity. 
   
• Two members of the Maryland Emergency Management Agency advance team will provide support to the Oregon State Emergency Coordination Center during the month of October.

Additionally, the Maryland Department of Natural Resources has mobilized wildland fire crews and firefighting equipment to provide support in Western states throughout the summer and early fall:

• This month, firefighter modules from Maryland have been assigned to the El Dorado Fire in Southern California and the Slater Fire in Northern California.

Each year, the Maryland Forest Service mobilizes wildland firefighters throughout the country as part of a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service. Crews are comprised of current and former employees of the Maryland Department of Natural Resources and members of Maryland volunteer fire companies. This year’s deployments have also included Arizona, Colorado, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, Texas, and Wyoming.