On Friday, September 9th, a Grand Junction Fire Department Wildland Team deployed with Brush 6 to California for the Mosquito Fire. The four-person crew could be gone for up to two weeks. 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. The Mosquito Fire has burned over 13,000 acres and 1,700 personnel have responded to combat the fire.
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.