Borough sending engines, men to West

WASILLA — Five fire engines, four from the Mat-Su Borough, will soon head from Alaska to help fight raging wildfires in California.

Central Mat-Su Assistant Fire Chief Michael Keenan said that, as far as he can recall, he’s never seen a request like this from the Lower 48 for equipment.

“We’ve sent personnel, but we’ve never sent trucks,” Keenan said.

The request, he said, is for structural fire engines — those used to put out house fires.

They’ll be needed. California is suffering through a record fire season. Friday, quoting statistics from the National Interagency Coordination Center, Keenan said California had about 58 active, large fires burning. Keenan said he was told there are 150 outstanding requests for the type of engines the Borough is sending.

Two engines will come from Central, one from Willow and one from Meadow Lakes. Another engine will leave from Chugiak, Keenan said, bringing the total South Central Alaska contingent to five.

“It’s a good opportunity for our guys to get some experience while helping our brothers and sisters down there,” he said. “And we’re happy to do it.”

The trucks will leave on lowboy trailers and, a few days later, 17 firefighters will head out to meet them in California.

Keenan said the departures will take away a couple of regular responders from the local fire contingent, but the department will fill in behind them. He said the department may have to rely slightly more on mutual aid agreements between the Borough’s departments, but it shouldn’t have much of an effect the local agency’s ability to respond.

This summer, usually the busy season for fires in the Borough, has lately been pretty quiet and the Borough can spare the equipment, Keenan said.

“Wildland season-wise, it’s been dead,” he said.

Keenan said he won’t be one of the folks heading down, but might after he gets back from vacation, which should wrap up right around the time his guys are reaching the end of their assigned 21-day shifts.

“When I go back I’ll probably take somebody’s place on a crew,” Keenan said.

Contact Andrew Wellner at andrew.wellner@frontiers-man.com or 352-2270.