Скачать или смотреть Utah sends 4 emergency missions to fight California Dixie Fire

Utah has organized four missions to help fight the Dixie Fire in California.

The Dixie Fire has burned 750,672 acres in five counties since it started July 14 and was 46% contained as of Friday morning, according to the Cal Fire website. It is the largest single wildfire in California’s history, according to the Utah Division of Emergency Management.

“I’ve never seen a three-quarters-of-a-million-acre fire before, and that’s what this thing’s basically at, and so it’s a challenge, but it’s also educational for us,” said Clint Mecham, state agency representative. “It’s not only just helping California, but indirectly, it’s helping Utah as well.”

The missions have included members of the Provo, Orem, Lehi, Draper, North Fork (Sundance), Park City, Salt Lake City, West Valley City, Murray, Sandy, Cedar City and North Tooele fire departments as well as the Unified Fire Authority and Wasatch County Sheriff’s Office.

The missions were deployed under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a governor-to-governor request for resources, according to Mecham.

“This is just a way for agencies in the state of Utah to put our best foot forward, represent Utah in the best way we know how, with the understanding that someday we’re going to need California and the other states to come help us,” Mecham said.

The first mission departed Aug. 9 and returned home Wednesday. The second mission, which left Aug. 13, is expected to return Saturday. The third mission arrived to the base camp in Susanville, California, on Friday, and the fourth mission is set to arrive there Sunday.

The firefighters are tired, but in good spirits, according to Mecham. He said California repeatedly noted their efforts.

“They’ve been highly involved in some very critical areas of the fire, helping their California brothers and sisters fight that fire and keep it out of communities like Janesville to the south of Susanville and also out of some big natural resource areas, but trying to prevent any more loss to structures or economic loss to the state of California,” Mecham said.

Northern California’s fire season started early and Southern California’s is expected to start in four to six weeks, so Utah could see requests for help coming from California into November, according to Mecham.

“Traditionally, the Utah fire community, the fire chiefs, have been absolutely outstanding in providing whatever help they can when those requests come in,” Mecham said. “I would anticipate that Utah fire resources will be involved here in California for as long as California needs it, and too, as long as Utah has the capacity to send.”