Montana governor deploys National Guard to support Washington fire response

A five-soldier Montana National Guard team will deploy Tuesday to help support fire response in Washington after Gov. Greg Gianforte responded to a request.

The state of Washington is experiencing significant wildfire conditions in many parts of the state, including active fires in Spokane that have burned more than 10,000 acres. The Washington State Standard reports that around 700 homes and other buildings in the city burned, with more than 65,000 individuals told to evacuate.

According to Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson, resources from more than 20 states and 100 jurisdictions are aiding the effort to fight the Spokane fires.

Brig. Gen. Trent Gibson, Adjutant General of Montana, said in a statement that helping neighbors is what Montanans do.

“Montanans understand the devastating impact wildfires can have on communities, and we’re proud to support our neighbors in Washington during this critical time,” Gibson said. “Whether here at home or across state lines, we’ll continue to do our part to help communities recover and overcome challenges together.”

According to the governor’s office, the initial Montana National Guard support includes one Montana Army National Guard CH-47 Chinook Heavy-lift helicopter, its crew, and one maintainer, for a total of five soldiers. The CH-47 provides critical heavy-lift capability to support wildfire suppression operations, including the movement of personnel and equipment.

The request for support from the Montana National Guard was sent through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact through which Montana can provide mutual assistance to member states.

By issuing an executive order, Gianforte can mobilize state resources including additional personnel, aircraft and capabilities in coordination with Washington while maintaining the ability to respond to emergencies within Montana.

Within Montana there has been moderate fire activity, and the governor said the state has adequate resources to manage existing incidents. According to the state’s wildfire dashboard, there are currently 26 active fires and nearly 90,000 acres have burned across the state this year.

“Deploying these resources will not compromise our ability to respond to any current fire activity in Montana, and the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation remains ready to continue executing an aggressive initial attack on all fire starts,” Gianforte said in a statement.