Beverly-Based Task Force 1 Confronts Charred Landscape In Oregon

BEVERLY, MA — The Beverly-based Massachusetts Task Force 1 faced a charred and devastated landscape, shrouded in smoke-filled and toxic air, when its 25-member unit arrived in Oregon to help support firefighters battling the Pacific Northwest blazes this week.

The unit, which departed from Logan Airport on Monday, traveled across the country to provide search and rescue support for crews battling the raging wildfires. Their mission is to look for any survivors or victims caught in the raging fires, as well as survey damaged buildings and other structures.

"The air quality is very rough," said Thomas Gatzunis, the planning team manager and structure specialist for Task Force 1, told Patch on Thursday. "Communication is very difficult, not only because of the terrain, but because of all the smoke in the air."

Gatzunis said members of Task Force 1 must wear half-face respirators while outdoors due to the toxic air from all the smoke and burned buildings, cars and homes.

"It's not easy," he said. "I am sure people know during COVID what it feels like to wear a surgical or cloth mask all day and how that can make breathing difficult. To work with these types of respirators in these conditions is that to a much greater degree of difficulty trying to breathe and take in oxygen."

The equipment combined with the terrain make the mission taxing and treacherous, at times, for the unit.

"They are not walking on nice, smooth flat pavement," Gatzunis said. "It's hilly and debris-filled. A lot of times the roads are closed so they are walking a great distance just to get to the area they need to get to."

Gatzunis said he is in contact with the unit as much as possible from Massachusetts, but radio and phone transmissions from the fire areas are spotty.

"Satellite phones aren't working and cell service is poor," Gatzunis said. "Even at the tops of mountains, it's difficult to get good cell coverage."

The program, which is managed through Beverly's Emergency Management Agency on behalf of the federal government, includes members from all New England states. Gatzunis said crews are generally sent out for two weeks at a time with a new unit rotating in every 14 days as necessary.

Photos are provided to Patch courtesy of Massachusetts Task Force 1

Related Patch Coverage: Beverly-Based Task Force 1 Heads To Oregon For Wildfire Support