Did California delay firetrucks sent by Oregon due to concerns over emissions standards? No, that's not true. A spokesperson for the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection told Lead Stories, "No emissions or SMOG testing was performed." The Oregon State Fire Marshal said all 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California on January 9, 2025.
The claim appeared in a post (archived here) published on X on January 11, 2025. The post said:
Oregon sent 60 fire trucks to CA. CA won't let them into the state because California is unsure of EMISSIONS on the trucks.
This is what the post looked like on Facebook at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Mon Jan 13 16:38:30 2025 UTC)
This post provided no evidence to support the assertion that California delayed the delivery of firetrucks sent by Oregon due to concerns over emissions standards.
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection
In a January 13, 2025, email to Lead Stories, a California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) spokesperson called the claim in the social media post "untrue." They continued:
No vehicles from out of state have been turned around or refused service at Davis Mobile Equipment and all out-of-state vehicles have been serviced and are heading to or have arrived in Southern California. No emissions or SMOG testing was performed. All repairs were completed the same day with the exception of a couple because of parts but turn around was early next day.
Davis Mobile Equipment is a large repair center run by CAL FIRE in Davis, California. It maintains and repairs the agency's vehicles, plus handles the premobilization inspections for equipment entering the state to help with the firefighting.
The inspections are detailed in a video (archived here) published on January 11, 2025, on the CAL FIRE Facebook page. The video's caption said:
As firefighting resources arrive from out of state to support the ongoing firefight, safety remains our top priority. Recognizing that these heavy-duty vehicles endure extensive travel, sometimes arriving with worn or out-of-specification components, we are committed to ensuring their safety before deployment to the front lines. Our proactive inspections and maintenance protocols guarantee that all equipment is fully operational, minimizing risks and maximizing effectiveness in fire suppression efforts. #LAFires #PalisadesFire #EatonFire
The video is embedded below:
In the video, Darren Law, senior forestry equipment manager at Davis Mobile Equipment, said the inspections are a quick pit stop for out-of-state help on their way to the Los Angeles fires:
They're coming from all over: Oregon, Washington, Idaho.
We've been getting vehicles in and out of here, strike teams in and out of here in about 45 minutes.
Oregon State Fire Marshal
The Oregon State Fire Marshal also called the social media claim "false" in a post and statement (archived here) on X on January 12, 2025. The statement said:
CLEARING UP MISINFORMATION
We want to clear up confusion about our Oregon firefighters and equipment sent to California to help with the wildfires. There is misinformation spreading on social media and from some news outlets claiming our equipment had to pass emissions tests and our equipment and firefighters were turned away or delayed.
TO BE CLEAR: THIS IS FALSE.
Our firefighters left Oregon mid-morning on Wednesday (1/8) from various locations in the state. These strike teams traveled to Sacramento where they stayed the night. On Thursday (1/9) at 6* a.m., they went through a routine safety check with CAL Fire to make sure the engines are mechanically sound. CAL Fire posted on their social media channels detailing the process.
Our strike teams were scheduled to arrive in Southern California on Thursday. There was no delay in the process or travel, Our equipment is held to the highest safety standard to ensure the safety of our firefighters. This equipment also does not regularly travel hundreds of miles at a time. Firefighter safety is our number one priority.
No engine was turned away. They all completed the safety check, and all 15 strike teams arrived in Southern California on Thursday [January 9, 2025] and began their 24-hour shift early Friday morning. Please help us share this message. If you see any misinformation, please direct people to this post. We thank you for your support. If you have questions, please reach out to us at [email protected].
This is what the post looked like on X at the time of writing:
(Source: Facebook screenshot taken on Mon Jan 13 18:20:59 2025 UTC)
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For more Lead Stories fact checks on claims involving Los Angeles wildfires, click here.
