International firefighters arrive to fight Oregon wildfires, air quality advisories return

A group of 65 firefighters have arrived from Australia and New Zealand to assist in firefighting efforts in the Pacific Northwest's largest fires. The firefighters were assigned to fires including the Willamette Complex South on the Willamette National Forest.

The Willamette Complex South includes seven lightning-caused fires at 12,737 total acres as of Friday afternoon. The Coffeepot Fire was the largest in the complex as of Friday afternoon at 6,120 acres with 35% containment.

The firefighters received briefings at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho, before being assigned to various fires.

“We are deeply grateful to our colleagues from Australia and New Zealand for their critical support,” said Jacque Buchanan, regional forester for the Forest Service’s Pacific Northwest Region. “Their expertise is essential as we continue to face a prolonged and extreme fire season.”

Since 2000, this is the eighth time Australia has sent firefighters to the U.S. through mutual wildland fire assistance.

Air quality advisory in place for parts of southern, central Oregon

Due to wildfire smoke from fires in Oregon and California, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality issued an air quality advisory for Deschutes, Klamath and Lake counties. The DEQ said it expected the advisory to last until Monday afternoon.

The DEQ said it also expected smoke in eastern Douglas, northern Harney, Jackson, eastern Lane and northern Malheur counties until Monday afternoon.

Check current air quality conditions at aqi.oregon.gov/ .

Emma Logan is an outdoors journalism intern for the Statesman Journal. She can be reached at elogan@salem.gannett.com or on X @emmmalogan

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: International firefighters arrive to fight Oregon wildfires, air quality advisories return