Governor Mills Announces State of Maine Deploying Firefighting Crews to Assist California Wildfire Response Efforts

Governor Janet Mills announced today that the State of Maine is deploying a team of Maine Forest Rangers and volunteer firefighters to help battle the devastating wildfires in Southern California.

Over the last week, wildfires have destroyed approximately 40,000 acres in greater Los Angeles, with high winds forecast to complicate containment efforts in the coming days. Two crews from Maine -- consisting of eight Forest Rangers and twelve volunteer firefighters -- will assist response and recovery efforts for a two-week period.

"In times of emergency and crisis, states step up to help one another and that is what we are proud to be doing here," said Governor Mills. "Our highly trained Forest Rangers and volunteer firefighters are answering the call to support the people of California and provide much-needed relief to exhausted teams on the ground. I thank them for their service and bravery."

Maine's team is expected to arrive in California by Tuesday evening and will provide vital relief to ongoing efforts where resources have been stretched thin due to the magnitude of the ongoing fires.

In addition to this deployment, the Maine Forest Service has also recently mobilized as part of other emergency response efforts nationwide, including to North Carolina in the wake of Hurricane Helene last October.

Under the Master Cooperative Wildland Fire Management and Stafford Act Agreement, State forestry agencies collaborate with Federal land management agencies to respond to national emergencies like wildfires and hurricanes. During deployments, Maine maintains sufficient personnel to handle local emergencies while providing critical support to other regions.