A second crew of firefighters returned to New Hampshire this weekend, completing an assignment begun in August when an initial crew and a Type VI firefighting engine were deployed to the Mendocino Complex incident as part of a mutual aid agreement.
Capt. John Accardi and Patrolman Wayne Howe from the N.H. Division of Forests and Lands spent two weeks supporting 20-person hand crews with the water needed to fight the fire and conducting prescribed fires to reduce fuels such as trees and grasses from igniting too close to a mountaintop communications site.
When the New Hampshire crew demobilized, the fire was more than 98 percent contained after having burned 459,124 acres and destroying 157 residences.
“We’re very proud of the contribution our crews made to help contain such a catastrophic incident,” said N.H. Forest Protection Bureau Chief Steven Sherman. “When they accept these assignments, they put a lot on the line — just as they do in their work here at home — and we know that it’s appreciated by those whose lives were affected by the wildfire.”
The Mendocino Complex Incident is comprised of the River Fire and Ranch Fire and is the largest wildland fire incident in recorded California history. The causes for each fire are currently under investigation.
Part of the N.H. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources, the Division of Forests and Lands protects and promotes the value provided by trees and forests. For more information about the New Hampshire Division of Forests and Lands and the work of the Forest Protection Bureau visit nhdfl.org or call 603-271-2214.
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