JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Leaders with the Mississippi Forestry Commission (MFC) announced a 20-person crew of wildland firefighters has been deployed to California to help stop wildfires in the state.
“We appreciate our employees volunteering to be part of these efforts to help our state and federal partners in California. Fighting the destructive power of wildfire means our wildland firefighters are working long hours in extreme conditions protecting people’s lives, homes and forestland,” said Russell Bozeman, MFC State Forester.
The team has been trained in wildland firefighting tactics and will help construct a fireline with hand tools. A fireline is a strip of land cleared of flammable vegetation down to the mineral soil, creating a perimeter clear of fuel around the wildfire.