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Astoria sends engine and crew to California wildfire response; city expects reimbursement
Summary
Astoria Fire Department deployed one engine and two personnel to the Palisades/Malibu wildfire response in early January as part of Oregon's multi‑agency strike teams. The city expects full reimbursement from California; estimated Astoria costs are roughly $83,000.
Astoria’s Fire Department deployed personnel and apparatus to assist California wildfire response in January, and City Council heard a field report on the deployment during the council’s Jan. 21 meeting.
Fire Chief Dan Crutchfield told the council that Oregon sent 21 strike teams — about 370 firefighters, 75 engines and 30 water tenders — on mutual-aid deployments to California. Clatsop County filled one strike team with 18 county firefighters, five engines and two staff vehicles. Astoria contributed one engine, a career engineer and one intern firefighter; Lewis & Clark Fire loaned an engine boss so the engine could be staffed with three members.
Chief Crutchfield said the engine left Jan. 8, arrived at the assigned area (Palisades/Malibu) on Jan. 9, and teams were expected to be released Jan. 23 with a two-day return transit. The department has an agreement with California to be reimbursed for deployment costs; Astoria’s preliminary estimate of its share of the deployment cost is about $83,000. That amount includes $33,000 for use of the fire engine and roughly $50,000 for personnel, fuel, motels and meals while deployed. The city plans to deposit reimbursement receipts into the fire department’s equipment replacement account to help fund future apparatus purchases.
Why it matters: Deployments of personnel and apparatus to large wildfires are common mutual‑aid operations but can create temporary local staffing and equipment-availability impacts and have material budget consequences. Crutchfield told council that the city prioritizes maintaining sufficient staffing at home while contributing to regional response.
Council follow-up: Councilor Davis asked how the reimbursement is handled; Crutchfield said California pays the city directly after required reports are submitted and that department receipts from recent deployments had built an equipment-savings balance.
Source: Presentation by Fire Chief Dan Crutchfield, Jan. 21, 2025 Astoria City Council meeting.
