SALEM, Ore. -- About 25 Oregon Army National Guard soldiers continue to support the Oregon Department of Forestry with firefighting efforts at the Whitewater Fire in the Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area east of Detroit, Oregon.
State of Emergency
The Oregon National Guard was requested to assist following Gov. Kate Brown's declaration of a state of emergency.
Besides the troops, two 1st Battalion, 168th Aviation Regiment CH-47 Chinook helicopters, based in Pendleton, Oregon, and equipped with nearly 2,000-gallon-capacity water buckets, are assisting with wildfire suppression efforts.
Montana Firefighting Support
Meanwhile, National Guard Bureau officials reported today that about 15 soldiers from the Montana Army National Guard are providing wildfire support to local authorities near Phillipsburg, Montana. The Montana Guard is contributing two fuel trucks and a CH-47 Chinook helicopter.
(From an Oregon National Guard news release.)
An Oregon Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook helicopter dumps a 2,000-gallon capacity Bambi bucket of water amid the smoke over the Mount Jefferson Wilderness Area in support of firefighting efforts at the Whitewater Fire in Oregon, Aug. 5, 2017. Army National Guard photo by Capt. Leslie Reed