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Video by Tech. Sgt. Jason Van Mourik

Oregon’s Citizen Soldiers and Airmen stand guard against nature’s fury.

173rd Fighter Wing

Aug. 30, 2017 | 0:52

Oregon National Guard Servicemembers from across the state are answering the call for help both here at home and in support of other disasters in our nation. More than five hundred Oregon National Guard Airmen and Soldiers, sixty three of them from the 173rd fighter wing, are working together alongside local, state and federal agencies to fight fires across Southern Oregon. Here at the Horse Prairie fire, about eight miles south of Camas Valley, a joint team of 173rd and 142nd fighter wing airmen and soldiers from the Oregon army national guard hold the line against a fire that has grown to more than seven thousand acres in size. They use water hoses to spray down hot areas and keep the flames from growing and pick axes and shovels to put out small smoldering fires in the ground. Their goal, to keep the fire from jumping across the boundary to untouched forest land behind them.