Roanoke County Fire & Rescue provides aid with Matts Creek Fire

ROANOKE CO., Va. (WDBJ) - With the Matts Creek fire continuing to burn across the Jefferson National Forest, Roanoke County Fire & Rescue is providing aid to active firefighters.

A team of four Roanoke County firefighters is deployed with the U.S. Forest Service through a cooperative agreement.

Although the team will not be dealing with the fire directly, they are there to help primarily for firefighter safety.

Leaders said wildland firefighters may need them when they are implementing containment lines.

“If a tree falls on a firefighter and they get injured, that’s where our team as part of that rapid extrication module would step in. They would help extricate that firefighter out of the fire scene area,” said Roanoke County Fire & Rescue Community Outreach Coordinator Brian Clingenpeel.

Clingenpeel said their team is in charge of supporting medical care and getting those injured to hospitals.

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