PORTLAND, Ore. — Senior firefighters from Oceania countries have joined firefighters in the Pacific Northwest to fight the Pacific Northwest’s enormous wildfires in 2024.
According to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS), 65 senior firefighters from Australia and New Zealand traveled from their countries to assist fire crews on fires like the Willamette Complex South and the . They received briefings at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, and were sent out to fight fires alongside American fire crews.
“We are deeply grateful to our colleagues from Australia and New Zealand for their critical support,” said Jacque Buchanan, Regional Forester for the USDA Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. “Their expertise is essential as we continue to face a prolonged and extreme fire season.”
These firefighters will fill critical leadership and operational positions such as Helibase Managers, Division Supervisors, Task Force Leaders, and Safety Officers. This is not the first time these specialists have helped out American fire crews, and this year marked the eighth time since 2000 that Australia has sent firefighters to the United States. This partnership has allowed mutual wildland fire assistance between all countries that contribute to extinguishing fires threatening land.
“This deployment of specialists from Australia and New Zealand is just the most recent example of the collaborative relationship with the U.S. fire agencies and continues to demonstrate the interoperability between these countries that has existed for more than two decades,” said Josh Torrens, Agency Representative for the Australia and New Zealand contingent.
