The Oregon State Fire Marshal is dispatching 12 strike teams to Southern California as a fierce battle with wildfires continues near Los Angeles. According to an announcement on the Oregon State Fire Marshal's official page, these teams consist of a formidable crew of 240 firefighters and 60 engines, poised to join the fray today.

The Oregon State Fire Marshal's office, which had been in lockstep with their Californian counterparts, enlisted the strike teams following a request for assistance that came in yesterday evening. The department has rapidly organized the inter-county teams from Clackamas to Yamhill, addressing California's urgent need. “Oregon and California have a strong partnership supporting each other. We both understand that fire does not recognize map lines, and we are ready to help each other whenever there is a need,” Oregon State Fire Marshal Mariana Ruiz-Temple told the Oregon State Fire Marshal's newsroom.

Firefighters on the ground in California, according to CAL FIRE, are contending with extreme fire behavior that includes dangerous spotting over short and long distances. The wind, gusting up at speeds that could surpass the 60-mile-per-hour mark, is expected to persist through tomorrow.

With a legacy of mutual aid dating back to 2017, Oregon and California have consistently lent hands in times when flames have sought to ravage communities, indifferent to borders drawn on maps. Such gestures of goodwill were solidified during Oregon's own historic 2024 wildfire season when California dispatched help northwards, according to the same press release.

The Oregon Department of Emergency Management facilitated the aid process through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact.