Eastern Area Wildfire Crew Deployments (Sept 2nd)

I would like to thank my friends at the B10 NJ Wildland Fire Page for sharing this on their website. After reading this presentation on their website, I knew that I had to share this with you.

I am always interested in deployments of eastern area wildfire crews to fires in other parts of the country. this report from the Eastern Area Coordination Center Predictive Services reports on the latest deployments with a map, pictures, and commentary. I like this report because they provide an easy way to read updates on where Eastern Area crews are deployed and the fires they are working on.

Thank-you to all wildfire crews from the Eastern Area working on fires in other parts of the United States. Stay safe. 

Note: scroll down to see the content, the map may not display in the Chrome Browser.

NJ Forest Fire Service and other Eastern States out of State assignments

It is the time of year where the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and other state firefighting agencies have answered the call to help work wildfires in other parts of the country.  Over the years that I have been writing this blog, I can say that I am more aware of what I will call mutual aid, whether it be structure fires or wildland fires, when the word goes out that a local fire company or an agency responsible for a wildland fire needs additional resources, the call is answered by those who are available to send people and equipment.

Today I focus on out of state deployments of crews and equipment from the New Jersey Forest Fire Service and other eastern area states. I knew earlier this week that two New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) engines and five NJFFS firefighters were deployed to Texas to assist the Texas A&M Forest Service, one type 6 and one type 4 engine were deployed the weekend of July 9th. For more information see this July 11th Tweet from the NJ Forest Fire Service. In going through the July 15th Resource Summary below I saw a third engine deployed in June to Wyoming.

Knowing that New Jersey had deployed engines and firefighters to Texas, I knew that other state firefighting agencies in the eastern area had deployed crews and equipment. I focus on the eastern area because that is where I live. I am fairly certain that as resources allow, states in other parts of the United States are deploying their crews and equipment out of state. 

I went to the Eastern Area Coordination Center, then I go to intelligence listed under predictive services listing of EACC products, many of which are updated daily during fire season. I selected resource summary, the one that I am looking at is dated July 15th (the date that I am posting). I am summarizing the deployments by type and by state:

• 3 fire crews, the Midewin International Hotshots and two Interagency Crews from the Missouri/Iowa Dispatch Center. The hotshots are deployed to Utah and the Interagency Crews are deployed to Alaska and Colorado.
• One module from Wisconsin is deployed to Texas (I need to check on what is meant by a module, it may refer to a smaller fire crew with less than 20 people.)
• Engines (with firefighters), the following states have one or more engines deployed outside the eastern region (to Wyoming, Colorado, California, Nevada, Texas): from Michigan (4), Vermont (1), Minnesota (8), New Jersey (3), Iowa (2), Wisconsin (7), Indiana (1), Illinois (1), West Virginia (2),  Maine (1), New Hampshire (1), and Ohio (1) for a total of 32 engines. 

I want to thank all the crews who are currently deployed outside their home states to support wildland firefighting operations in other parts of the United States. You are away from your homes and families doing good work to keep us safe from wildfires. 

2021 wildfire season: NJ Forest Fire Service crews deployed to Montana

When I wrote my post on July 26th about Eastern United States deployments to various states in the Western United States to help with this devastating wildfire season out west, I knew that New Jersey Forest Fire Service (NJFFS) engines and crews were deployed. I suspected that all or most of the NJFFS deployments were to Montana. 

 Just this morning, I saw a post from the NJFFS about the deployment of their engines, trucks and crews to Montana. I want to share this with you. With a note of extreme gratitude and pride that wildland firefighters are yet again helping to fight wildfires out west. I am very proud of all of you. I pray for your safety. You honor us and do New Jersey proud by your service.

2021 wildfire season: eastern area helping in the west

As this devastating wildfire season continues in the western U.S., I found myself wondering how States in the Eastern Area Coordination Center were helping in the west. Based on prior years, I knew that it was likely that wildland fire crews and engines in the eastern U.S. were helping in the west. So, I went to the Eastern Area Coordination Center to see what I could find out. I found my answer under predictive services in the resource summary page (the page I went to was dated July 24, 2021), what you see will be different.

To summarize what I saw as of Friday July 24, 2021 the Midewin International Hot Shot Crew was deployed to Montana and two type 2 IA (initial attack crews), one from Delaware and the other from Pennsylvania were also deployed to Montana.

There were a number of engines (and crew) deployed to Montana, California, Idaho, Oregon, Nevada, Utah, and Wyoming. These engines came from all over the eastern area, including but not necessarily limited to Delaware, Wisconsin, New Jersey, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Maine, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Missouri, and Ohio. Several states sent more than one engine. As I understand it the engines may or may not stay out west depending on the need in their home state, with engine crews rotating out after two weeks and may be replaced by new crews. 

I would like to thank all the crews and engine crews for your service helping the western states in their devastating wildfire season. You honor us with your service. Stay safe.