Article: Army Joins Little Giant Firefight
Army Joins Little Giant Firefight
PHOTO CAPTION: An active-duty Army soldier assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, uses a chainsaw to clear brush from a contingency fireline on the Little Giant Fire near Plain, Washington, Aug. 22, 2026.
Nearly 250 active-duty Army soldiers are now working alongside civilian firefighters on Washington state’s Little Giant Fire after completing firefighting operations on another major wildfire in the state.
About 240 soldiers from Joint Base Lewis-McChord arrived at a forward operating base near Chelan on Aug. 21, according to the Army. The soldiers had previously been supporting suppression efforts on the Modrite Fire in eastern Washington since Aug. 9.
Most are assigned to 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and are being used as wildland firefighting hand crews.
New U.S. Forest Service imagery released Tuesday shows the soldiers cutting brush with chainsaws, clearing vegetation and constructing contingency firelines near Plain, Washington.
Rather than performing a traditional military mission, the infantry soldiers are working under experienced wildland firefighting crew leaders and carrying out tasks intended to slow or stop the spread of the fire.
The deployment was requested by the National Multi-Agency Coordinating Group at the National Interagency Fire Center in Boise, Idaho. U.S. Northern Command and U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command coordinated the active-duty military support.
The soldiers received initial wildland firefighter training from the U.S. Forest Service at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in July before being sent into the field. They received additional equipment and on-site familiarization after deploying in August.
“The Soldiers integrated right away with the experienced civilian fire crews,” Maj. Donald Galatis, executive officer for 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, said in an Army release.
Galatis said the troops are working alongside civilian firefighters and performing tasks assigned by experienced strike-team leaders and crew bosses.
The soldiers initially deployed to help contain the Modrite Fire near Inchelium before shifting approximately 200 miles south to support operations against the Little Giant Fire.
The Little Giant Fire has burned across a large portion of Chelan County and prompted evacuations and property losses. Chelan County officials previously reported that at least 26 structures, including two primary residences and three cabins, had been destroyed during a period of intense fire activity earlier this month.
The active-duty deployment is separate from the Washington National Guard response. Hundreds of Guard soldiers and airmen have also been activated across the state to support wildfire operations with ground crews, aircraft and other resources.
For the JBLM soldiers, the assignment represents a dramatic change from their normal infantry mission.
Instead of weapons and tactical equipment, newly released images show soldiers carrying chainsaws and hand tools through steep terrain as they build and maintain firelines designed to protect communities, property and public lands.
Sources: U.S. Army Western Hemisphere Command; U.S. Forest Service; DVIDS; Chelan County
(Source: OAF Nation)
