A Type 3 Incident Management Team from the New York City Fire Department will assume command of the Dolan Fire on October 6. Since it started on August 18 the blaze has burned over 124,000 acres on the California coast 10 miles south of Big Sur, mostly on the Los Padres National Forest but also on private land.
Below is information released by New York City.
FDNY Sends 50 of New York’s Bravest to Fight Dolan Fire in Central California
October 2, 2020
NEW YORK—Mayor Bill de Blasio today announced that the FDNY Incident Management Team (IMT), comprised of 50 members of the FDNY, will deploy to Pacific Valley Station, California, to support the containment effort for the Dolan fire that is currently devastating the Central Coast region. This is the largest-ever single FDNY IMT deployment to a wildland fire. The IMT leaves today, Friday, October 2nd, for a two-week deployment.
“New Yorkers don’t turn away from a friend in need. Our City doesn’t, either,” said Mayor Bill de Blasio. “Our hearts go out to all those affected by Dolan already, and I’m proud to work with the State of California to provide the support it needs to keep Americans safe. We look forward to welcoming New York’s Bravest back home soon after a job well done.”
The FDNY IMT will assist with managing the operations, planning, and logistics for the containment effort, which is extremely difficult because the Dolan Fire is up against steep terrain that is inaccessible to most fire suppression efforts. FDNY IMT will use drones to locate hotspots so helicopters can extinguish the fire, supervise the strengthening of existing fire lines, and monitor the potential spread of fire into additional areas.
The team will also be supervising fire units operating across large geographic areas of the forest; tracking all resources, including Firefighting personnel and apparatus; and tracking costs related to equipment, food, and supplies, as well as possible injuries to first responders operating in the fire line area.
“FDNY members will go to any lengths – and even well beyond the borders of our city – to help those in need of our assistance,” said Fire Commissioner Daniel A. Nigro. “When massive fires and natural disasters cause damage across the country, the men and women of our Department’s highly-trained Incident Management Team always answer the call for help. I know they will make an immediate impact in the extensive containment efforts already underway.”
A separate group of 15 members of the FDNY IMT returned home one week ago after a two-week deployment to Oregon to assist with containment and management of the Brattain Fire in the Fremont-Winema National Forest.
IMTs are trained teams of first responders responsible for overseeing large-scale long-duration incidents and emergencies, including forest fires, earthquakes, hurricanes, and other natural disasters. Following September 11th, 2001, an IMT from the United States Forest Service greatly assisted FDNY with the rescue and recovery effort at the World Trade Center site. From this experience, the FDNY IMT was created to manage incidents in New York City and across the country. The FDNY IMT has responded to multiple national emergencies, from forest fires; to New Orleans following Hurricane Katrina; to Broome County, NY following Hurricane Irene; to here in New York City after Hurricane Sandy. The FDNY IMT consists of more than 300 FDNY members from all ranks in the Department with specialized training in incident command, rescue operations, logistics, and planning.
(End of news release)
The introduction to the article was edited October 4, 2020 to correctly show the start date of the Dolan Fire as August 18, 2020.
Thank all you brave men and woman for helping in risking your lives to put out the fires in California. You are my heros! ?❤️??????????????
From the map it looks like the Dolan Fire has burned into Hunter Liggett Military Reservation. Roughly a mile from the post headquarters, which has historic buildings itelf, is California’s best example of what the Spanish Missions looked like since like it is the only one that is not surrounded by modern structures in a predominantly urban landscape. As a history buff, in addition to being a forester with firefighting experience, I hope Mission San Antonio and the heart of Hunter Liggest have been spared by efforts of the men and women who have been battling thsi blaze.
That is one seriously bloated Type 3 team, with 50 people. Is that a typo? That is more than a standard Type 2 IMT as well.
Bloated is an understatement……
Would love to be an observer and see how they use 50 people on a type 3 team and how they will deal with a wildland fire. We have been considered “heavy” when we roll with 20 on our interagency GBCC type 3 team.
I do think the opportunity for them to come out and help is great and I wish them well
Thank you so much New York City! I had asked myself why other states could not lend a hand to keep California fires under control. Of course CA would need to pay their travel expenses and salary etc.
Since most of the fire is on land that is under federal jurisdiction, California has not and will not cover much of the cost of this incident.