OAKLAND, Calif. - Governor Gavin Newsom on Wednesday announced plans to deploy a CAL FIRE Incident Management Team to Washington State to help manage the Sinlahekin Fire, which is burning in rural Okanogan County.
The Washington Department of Natural Resources requested California’s aid under the Northwest Compact Agreement, an interstate and international mutual aid agreement created in 1998. The deployment marks the first time a CAL FIRE Incident Management Team has been sent to Washington under the agreement.
"With fires burning from California to Washington and across the West, California isn’t sitting on the sidelines," Newsom said in a press release. "We’ve built the technology, the staffing, and the capacity not just to fight our own fires, but to send help when our neighbors are in trouble. From Bainbridge Island to Burgundy, California is showing what real climate and wildfire leadership looks like."
The team will help local crews fight the Sinlahekin Fire, which was ignited by a lightning strike on July 26, approximately 12 miles west of Tonasket in the Sinlahekin Valley, which is known for its steep, rugged terrain.
The backstory:
Over the course of three days the fire has grown to more than 8,500 acres, feeding on dry grass, timber, and dead trees. The landscape, which includes boulders and rocky ledges, has kept firefighters from directly engaging with the flames in some areas.
Forecasters are expecting heavy winds in the days to come, which could spread flames further, as well as limit the use of aircraft dropping water and fire retardant.
Dig deeper:
CAL FIRE has six Complex Incident Management Teams, which specialize in overseeing large, complicated emergencies by coordinating firefighting operations, planning, logistics and supplies, finance, public information, and safety.
A CAL FIRE Incident Management Team, as well as multiple strike teams, were dispatched to multiple states across the West during the summer. The deployments have included on-the-ground firefighting, urban search and rescue support, and recovery planning.
"Wildfires do not recognize boundaries, nor does our shared commitment to helping one another," CAL FIRE Director, Chief Joe Taylor said in a press release. "Our Incident Management Teams are among the most experienced in the world, and we are proud to support our partners in Washington as they work to protect lives, communities, and natural resources."
The Source: California Governor's press office