COLUMBUS – An Ohio wildfire crew is assisting suppression efforts on a 6,500-acre fire located in central Oregon’s Umpqua National Forest.
The crew will be constructing firelines and extinguishing smaller fires in an effort to protect more than 20 homes, according to the Ohio Department of Natural Resources.
Fire officials expect the blaze to be contained by early September.
The 20-person Ohio crew, the fourth sent by Ohio this fire season, includes four ODNR employees, five U.S. Park Service employees, three Wayne National Forest employees and eight private foresters and volunteer firefighters.
“This crew marks the most wildfire fighters Ohio has ever sent for out-of-state fire protection measures,” said Mike Bowden, wildfire coordinator for the ODNR Division of Forestry.
Approximately 1,000 fires burn more than 5,000 acres annually in Ohio. Many of these fires occur during the spring and fall fire seasons.
Ohio’s fall fire season begins Oct. 1.
