OR Dept. of Forestry release - SALEM, Ore.—Over the weekend, the Oregon Department of Forestry (ODF) deployed 21 firefighters and an agency representative to North Carolina under state-to-state mutual aid agreements.  The state-to-state mutual aid agreements, along with other agreements like the Northwest Compact, are in place for fire management organizations to easily share resources with one another, creating a larger and more comprehensive fire management system.  “These agreements help bolster Oregon’s complete and coordinated fire protection system and create a cache of reciprocal resources for all of us to call on when needed,” said Ron Graham, Deputy Chief of Operations for ODF’s Protection Division.  The firefighting crews arrived in Charlotte, NC Sunday night and traveled to Ashville Monday morning for an in-brief from North Carolina fire leadership. Both crews were integrated into fire operations. The crews are comprised of firefighters from the Douglas Forest Protective Association, Coos Forest Protective Association and a variety of ODF Protection Districts including South Cascade, Western Lane and Southwest Oregon.  When wildfire activity is low in Oregon, firefighters can be spared to help in places experiencing high levels of wildfire. This two-week rotation with our partners is our firefighters’ chance to enhance existing skills, learn new ones, and continue long-standing relationships.  “Oregon has a strong relationship with North Carolina. They regularly send resources in our time of need, and we support them when we’re able,” said Graham. “Their wildfire season is earlier in the calendar year than ours, making for an effective partnership of sharing resources.”  Firefighting resources aren’t shared without appropriate vetting. Before committing to any out-of-state deployment, ODF ensures Oregon’s fire management system is still adequately staffed and ready to respond to fires here in Oregon. Serving Oregonians is our first and primary priority.  Oregon can and has called on its out-of-state partners to send resources when wildfires here exceeded our local and state response capacity, most recently in 2025 when ODF received firefighters and equipment from about 17 states, provinces and territories.