MEDFORD, Ore. — Firefighters from Ukraine spent Friday in Eastern Oregon, learning new techniques from their American counterparts.
Firefighters and firefighting instructors from Ukraine came to learn techniques that have been common in our area for years, like prescribed burns. They say that’s a new idea that will be brought back to the Eastern European nation to fight fires in forested places like the Chernobyl exclusion zone.
“Because, of course, we want to improve our response to those fires. In particular in extreme conditions like the Chernobyl exclusion zone,” said Serhiy Stas from the Cherkasy Institute of Fire Safety.
The international partnership is also beneficial to the US Forest Service.
Officials say they get to learn how to handle fires in a contaminated area and the effects it can have on firefighters.
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