With four fires ravaging the Los Angeles area, Clackamas County is sending a task force to assist that includes firefighters from Lake Oswego, Canby, Aurora and Clackamas.
The task force was deployed through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact — which is a United States mutual aid system — and includes 17 firefighters and five engines that are designed to fight wildland fires encroaching upon urban environments. Greg Barnum of the Lake Oswego Fire Department will serve as aide to the task force leader, coordinating logistics like navigation and finding a place to stay.
So far, the Los Angeles fires have burned more than 1,000 homes, businesses and buildings, according to the Los Angeles Times, and wind gusts have at times hovered around 100 mph…