California creates first-of-its-kind all-hazards military fire engine strike team

With peak wildfire season approaching, the state of California says it has created the nation's first all-hazards military fire engine strike team.

California's Military Department already maintained a firefighting program on military bases, with trained personnel providing firefighting prevention, mitigation, and protection services to the state, and its military bases and camps. The new Team Blaze, which will be operated by the State Guard of Military, will be used to enhance California's Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid fleet.

Team Blaze is being assigned a Type VI strike team of wildland-style fire engines from the governor's Office of Emergency Services with the capacity to carry a 4-person crew. The engines have the ability to get into hard-to-access terrain and can carry 300 gallons of water.

The strike team will be in addition to the Military Department's existing Task Force Rattlesnake hand crew program made up of soldiers and airmen that has cleared and treated forest areas in central and northern parts of California since 2019. Both will be part of the California Fire and Rescue Mutual Aid System of more than 270 fire engines across 60 local partners across the state that can respond to a wide range of incidents.

"We have always valued the California Military Departments partnership during times of need, especially during wildfires or other natural disasters," Cal OES Director Ghilarducci said in a statement. "These new engines will not only add to their capabilities, but also help augment our states wildfire and rescue resources more broadly."