MOSCOW (Sputnik) – Some 95 serious wildfires are burning within the western part of the United States on a territory of about 1.1 million acres.
“For the first time since 2006, the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho is mobilizing active duty military personnel to serve as firefighters to assist with wildfire suppression efforts,” the press release said on Monday.
According to the press release, the DoD approved the request of firefighting organization to provide 200 active duty military personnel from a military base in Washington to assist with firefighting efforts. The DoD has also sent four C-130 transport aircraft equipped with firefighting systems to the western states.
The NIFC said that the US Army has been provided firefighting organizations with military personnel 35 times since 1987.