Oregon Air National Guard hand crews moved into their second day of wildland firefighting operations Aug. 9, 2026, shifting from structure protection to mop-up, monitoring and patrol of existing containment lines on the Grasshopper Fire. Brian Brown, 173rd Fighter Wing, is on his fourth major wildfire deployment in his approximately 26 years of service. “We can, in a military capacity, support our state and see the effects that we have to assist the state,” Brown said. The Guard crews are working closely with the Oregon Department of Forestry’s liaison to the National Guard and with contracted crew bosses assigned to oversee day-to-day fireline work. Brown said the Grasshopper Fire’s proximity to a metropolitan area sets this deployment apart from past fires he’s supported.