Oregon Sends Firefighters to Canada and U.S. States Ahead of Peak Wildfire Season

Salem, Oregon- The Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) dispatched more than 20 firefighters to Canada and several U.S. states on Friday, marking the agency’s final large-scale out-of-state deployment before the state’s fire season ramps up.

Fourteen firefighters were sent to Alberta, Canada, four to Alaska, three to Minnesota, and one to Florida, according to the department. The deployments are part of mutual aid agreements that allow fire agencies to share resources across borders.

Personnel heading to Alberta and Alaska are being deployed through the Northwest Compact, a mutual assistance pact among six U.S. states and five Canadian provinces and territories. The others are being sent under state-to-state aid agreements.

“These agreements help bolster Oregon’s complete and coordinated fire protection system and create a cache of reciprocal resources for all of us to call on when needed,” said Michael Curran, ODF’s Fire Protection Division Chief.

Curran emphasized that Oregon’s fire readiness remains the department’s top priority and that firefighters are only released when local conditions allow. “Know that we don’t share these resources without appropriate vetting,” he said. “Before committing to any out-of-state deployment, we make sure that our own fire management system is still adequately staffed and ready to respond to fires here in Oregon.”

Firefighters will serve on a two-week rotation, providing critical support to partners facing heightened wildfire activity. ODF noted that such assignments not only assist other regions but also provide Oregon crews with opportunities to strengthen their skills and relationships.

In previous years, Oregon has relied on the same mutual aid agreements to bring in support when in-state fire activity exceeds available resources. In 2024, ODF received help from roughly 21 states, provinces, and territories.

With fire season just beginning in parts of Oregon, Curran said this marks the agency’s last major out-of-state resource commitment until fall rains return.