Darcy Burner | Democrat For Congress

• About Darcy
  • Biography
  • Endorsements
  • Issues and Positions
  • Iraq Plan
• Take Action
  • Volunteer
  • Contribute
  • Help Darcy Raise Money
  • Events▸
    • Upcoming Organizational Events
    • Find A Grassroots Event
    • Create A Grassroots Event
    • Manage Your Event Plans
  • Write a Letter to the Editor
  • Contact Us
• Media
  • Videos
  • Photo Gallery
• News
  • Campaign Log
  • Press Releases
  • Newsletters
  • In the News
• Resources
  • About the 8th CD
  • Register to Vote
  • Democratic Groups
• CONTRIBUTE

By BRUCE SMITH

WRITING For THE DISPATCH

Graham Fire Chief Reggie Romines confirmed Thursday, Oct. 25, that a Graham Fire Department unit is deploying to fight the southern California fires. The Graham crew, composed of one Type 3 fire engine, a specially designed off-road wildlands fire fighting vehicle, will have a Graham Lieutenant and two Graham fire fighters.

Romines indicated that they are to rendezvous at 1 p.m. Thursday at Exit 111 on I-5 at Hawks Prairie. There they will meet with four other units from other Washington fire districts and together travel to California in convoy and fight as one brush fire "Strike Team." Thus totaling five Type 3 engines, this strike team will have a combined strength of sixteen fire fighters, and all members of the team will be deployed for a minimum of two weeks.

Expenses are being paid for entirely by the State of California, which is receiving over $75 million from the federal government exactly for this kind of additional support, according to recent reports in The New York Times. Many Californian fire fighters have been battling this blaze since Sunday evening without any significant rest.

Click here to read at The Dispatch

UPDATE: More news from the Graham fire crew enroute to Southern California

One of Graham’s wildfire engines and three member crew, along with their support van, are enroute to California, Graham Fire Chief Reggie Romines announced late this afternoon, Oct. 25^th.  They are expected to arrive in southern California by early afternoon, Friday, Oct. 26^th.The Graham crew is part of a fourth wave of Washington fire fighters and equipment responding to California’s call for emergency assistance in their battle with the many wildfires and hundreds of structural blazes that started last Sunday in the San Diego area. The Graham unit is part of a five engine company known as the South Puget Sound Strike Team, and it is one of three Washington wildland strike teams deploying to California today, according to Mark Clemens of the WA Emergency Management Division. Graham’s contribution of one rugged, off-road Type 3 fire engine and three member crew bring the total Washington contingent to 232 firefighters and 60 engines. The Graham firefighters are dispatched to California for a minimum of two weeks, and will be relaying information and pictures back from the scene of a fire storm that Chief Romines called today, “the biggest fire this country has seen since San Francisco or the Chicago Fire of 1876.”