Virginia Firefighters to Battle Wildfires in Central Oregon

Firefighters from the Virginia Department of Forestry (VDOF) are heading to central Oregon to combat the state’s ongoing wildfires.

According to The Weather Channel, Washington and Oregon are currently battling at least 20 major wildfires that have caused one reported fatality and destroyed an estimated 150 homes. Such large and complex wildfires require more manpower than most states possess, according to the Department of Forestry.

“While wildfires do occur in Virginia during summer months, the frequency and intensity are far lower than they are in the spring and fall,” said VDOF’s director of resource protection John Miller in a statement. “As long as we can ensure the safety of Virginia’s citizenry, we will respond to calls for mutual aid. The scarcity of firefighting resources across the nation necessitates our support, and our employees put their lives on the line every day in their mission to protect the lives of others.”

This week, 25 VDOF full- and part-time employees will join wildfire hand crews and incident managers who will operate out of a mobile command post. They are expected to remain in Oregon for 16 days.