A Santee Fire Department battalion chief has been deployed to Oregon as crews respond to large wildfires burning across the Pacific Northwest, according to East County Magazine.

Battalion Chief David Leask has been in Oregon since July 21 through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid system that allows states to share emergency personnel after a governor declares an emergency. East County Magazine reported that his strike team was reassigned to the Rowe Creek Complex, which had burned 313,439 acres and was 55% contained as of Aug. 2.

The deployment has a personal dimension: Leask is a cancer survivor who has publicly encouraged people to seek medical care when symptoms persist. East County Magazine noted broader cancer risks faced by firefighters because of exposure to smoke and other carcinogens during the job.

For Santee residents, the key local detail is continuity of service. According to the source report, the Santee Fire Department said the community should see no impact on emergency response while Leask is deployed, with firefighter-paramedics and EMTs continuing normal operations.

The Oregon deployment is also expected to be reimbursed through the emergency declaration process, according to East County Magazine. That means California would be reimbursed for deployed firefighters, with local districts including Santee reimbursed in turn.