Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force based in Beverly sent to Oregon to aid in fighting wildfires

The Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 departed for Oregon on Tuesday to provide aid to the area that’s been ravaged by wildfires, according to the task force.

The 25-member team based in Beverly received activation orders Monday at 4 p.m. to report tor Oregon. They team arrived Tuesday morning on the west coast after taking a commercial flight across the country, the task force said.

Specifics weren’t provided as to what the task force will be doing once they arrive. The incident commander will provide specific orders, the task force said.

According to the Massachusetts Urban Search and Rescue Task Force 1 web site, the team is a specialized rescue organization comprised of highly trained firefighters, technical rescue technicians, medical professionals, canine handlers, engineers, physicians and civilians with specialty skills from various cities and departments located throughout New England.

Massachusetts Task Force 1 (MA-TF1) is one of 28 Urban Search and Rescue Task Forces across the continental United States trained and equipped by FEMA to handle structural collapse.

The task force can also provide emergency medical care for entrapped survivors, reconnaissance to assess damage and needs and assess and shut off of utilities.

The fires in California, Oregon and Washington have killed at least 35 people and burned around 4.6 million acres in the West, CNN reported. In California alone, nearly 16,500 firefighters continue battle 28 major wildfires in the state that have claimed 24 lives, CalFire said on Monday.

Smoke from the fires is moving across the United States. It will be visible in Massachusetts on Tuesday.

Although the haziness is prominent, the smoke is not surface-based, forecasters said. It is “well off” into the atmosphere, noted Alan Dunham, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Boston/Norton office.

The health risks posed to Massachusetts residents and others in the United States located far away from the fires remain unclear. The National Weather Service’s Boston/Norton office referred to state officials to provide that information.

“The biggest health threat from smoke is from fine particles,” the Environmental Protection Agency’s website said. “These microscopic particles can penetrate deep into your lungs. They can cause a range of health problems, from burning eyes and a runny nose to aggravated chronic heart and lung diseases. Exposure to particle pollution is even linked to premature death.”

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