Mississippi Forestry Commission deploys firefighters to aid in California wildfire
They will return in two weeks
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Updated: 5:51 PM CDT Jul 6, 2021
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They will return in two weeks
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Updated: 5:51 PM CDT Jul 6, 2021
Mississippi wildland firefighters are on the frontlines of a northern California wildfire. The 20-person group is teaming up with California firefighters in efforts to contain what they are calling “the Salt Fire” in the Shasta Trinity National Forest “We had a 20-person hand tool crew deployed out to the Salt Fire in northern California to assist with suppression efforts on this fire,” Mississippi Forestry Commission spokesperson Jason Scott said. Scott said the fire is now 20% contained and estimated to be over 12,000 acres. The U.S. Forest Service put out a call to all states for any available resources and the Mississippi Forestry Commission answered. Scott said fighting fires looks a little bit different on the west coast. “Here in Mississippi when we fight fires, we use up equipment, we use tractors, we use bulldozers, we use plows,” Scott said. “Out west, you have a lot more mountainous terrain, a lot more hills. It’s not very efficient or effective to use equipment, so firefighters out there have to actually use hand tools.”Despite the extreme conditions, Scott said the Mississippi Forestry Commission’s firefighters are more than prepared for the job.“They love doing it, they love fighting fires, whether it be here in Mississippi or assisting our federal and state partners in another state,” he said. The crew names will be released upon their safe return to Mississippi in approximately two weeks.