SALEM, Ore. – Two Oregon National Guard Chinook helicopters from Pendleton arrive in Salem today as the first resources mobilized to fight wildfires under the state of emergency declared by Oregon Gov. Kate Brown on Wednesday. The heavy-lift helicopters have been assigned to make water drops on the Whitewater Fire starting Saturday. That fire in the Mt. Jefferson Wilderness has grown to more than 4,500 acres and could pose a threat to nearby private forestland protected by ODF.
ODF Aviation Manager Neal Laugle says helicopters are in especially high demand due to wildfires burning across the western United States and British Columbia. “That makes the availability of these National Guard helicopters very important right now for helping check the spread of Whitewater into private forestland.”
Laugle says the Chinook is a highly effective firefighting tool, able to work in difficult terrain.
Gov. Brown’s declaration came as high temperatures and dry fuels this week created a significant risk of wildfires starting and spreading.
“As Oregon faces a near record-breaking heatwave, the threat of wildfires increases,” Brown said in a statement accompanying the declaration.
Gov. Brown also urged all Oregonians to respect burn bans and other fire restrictions and do all they can to prevent wildfire starts.
Photo of a Chinook helicopter courtesy of the Oregon National Guard.