SALT LAKE CITY, Utah, Dec. 6, 2017 (Gephardt Daily) — Nearly 100 Utah firefighters from multiple agencies are deploying to Southern California to help during the recent devastating fires.
The personnel are deploying under the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a system of state-to-state mutual aid, according to information from the Utah Division of Emergency Management.
The deployment is expected to last 14 days.
The firefighters will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at the Dillard’s at the Provo Town Center Mall, and will leave from there.
Fire agencies that have submitted an intent to deploy currently include:
- Utah Division of Forestry, Fire and State Lands
- Unified Fire Authority
- Salt Lake City
- South Jordan
- West Valley City
- Layton
- Sandy
- Provo
- Sterling
- Fairview
- Draper
- Castledale
- Uintah City
- Price
- Cedar City
- Washington City
- Hurricane Valley
If all agencies end up deploying, this would amount to 98 people and 32 vehicles.
California is seeking resources to help relieve the burden on local firefighters who are exhausted from continuous operations. The fire outbreak in California has added to one of the deadliest and most destructive fire seasons in that state’s history.
A similar deployment to California happened in October.
