On Thursday August 4th, a Grand Junction Fire Department Wildland Team deployed with Brush 6 to Texas, 26 miles north of Uvalde for a preparedness assignment. The crew could be gone for up to two weeks. With preparedness assignments, there is no active fire to respond to, but fire danger is so high that bringing in resources early will help the area prevent catastrophic fire should one occur. On deployments the crew can help create defensible space and protect homes from fire, create and maintain fire lines, and work on direct fire suppression.
Locally, GJFD still has two wildland engines and a water tender available should a wildfire occur while the crew is gone. The knowledge and skills gained by the wildland team on deployments like this are brought back to GJFD to help the department better protect local people and property from wildfire. For more information on the Grand Junction Fire Department deployment contact the Community Outreach Office at (970)549-5800, or by e-mail at GJfirePIO@gjcity.org.