Five firefighters from the Lebanon Fire District are currently en route to Southern California as members of a Linn and Benton County task force to help battle fast moving wild fires throughout the region. They are bringing with them one Type 3 fire engine and one Type 6 brush vehicle.

The Oregon Office of State Fire Marshal, through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, has activated its Agency Operations Center and 10 strike teams with equipment and personnel who are enroute to assist with the latest wildfires in California.

California fire officials submitted a request asking for assistance yesterday evening from Oregon. The OSFM activated its emergency mobilization plan, sending out the request for assistance to all Oregon fire agencies.

"Oregon fire agencies have again answered the call and we are honored to assist our neighbors for the second time this year, said Chief Deputy State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple. "California helped us with the fires in southern Oregon this year, we assisted them in October and I am proud that we can again assist them in their time of need."

California made the request through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact a national state-to-state mutual aid system. The EMAC request is sent directly to Oregon Emergency Management who contact and coordinate with the appropriate Oregon agency to fulfill the requests.

Oregon county fire defense board chiefs have activated 10 strike teams that are enroute from the following counties: Lane, Multnomah, Washington, Linn, Marion, Clackamas, Klamath, Yamhill, a combined team from Polk, Linn, and Benton counties, and a team from the Rogue Valley area.

Five additional strike teams are being ordered and will be enroute later today.