Madison firefighters called to help with Oklahoma fire - East Idaho News
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Madison firefighters called to help with Oklahoma fire

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REXBURG — The Madison Fire Department received a deployment request Wednesday night to help on a wild fire in western Oklahoma. This request came two months earlier than the agency has ever been called on before.

The department sent one wildland engine Thursday morning with full-time firefighter Ellis Johnston and firefighters Britton Youngstrom and Byron Wilkins. The crew is expected to arrive at the incident command post late Friday.

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“We are happy to respond to Oklahoma where their state is currently suffering from extreme fire behavior, loss of life and property,” Madison Fire Department Chief Corey Child said in a news release. “We anticipate our crew and engine to be gone for a period of 16 days and are hopeful that our assistance will help with the grim circumstances in Oklahoma.”

The department most recently returned from a southern California deployment on Dec. 26. In 2017, the Madison Fire Department responded to 63 out-of-area requests for assistance through Eastern Idaho Interagency Fire Dispatch Center.

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