Oregon National Guard Activated to Help Fight Fires

Oregon Governor Kate Brown issued an order late Thursday activating soldiers from the Oregon National Guard to assist in firefighting efforts throughout the state.

According to the Oregon National Guard, they will be receiving a quick course in basic fire fighting duties, then off to the front lines:

"The Soldiers are scheduled to assist with cleanup operations near Canyonville, Oregon, which will free up firefighters for rest and recuperation, and to continue battling larger fires throughout the state. Ultimately, local fire managers and incident commanders will determine the best utilization of Oregon's Citizen-Soldiers.

The Soldiers are scheduled to report to DPSST sometime Friday evening, and will begin their training on Saturday, Aug. 22. Following fire training, they are scheduled to deploy to the Stouts Creek Fire Base on Wednesday, Aug. 26. "

For the last couple of weeks, Oregon and Washington have been the top fire fighting priority in the entire U.S., as both states have been ravaged by dozens of fires. Hundreds of homes and property destroyed and record drought conditions are making conditions worse than in many years.