Multinational Kosovo Force fights more fires in mountains

CAMP BONDSTEEL, Kosovo (Sept. 9, 2015) -- Multinational Kosovo Force, or KFOR, emergency response teams were activated to respond to continuing forest fire threats, Sept. 5, in the mountains outside Dragash in southern Kosovo.

On the ground and in the air, forces from several nations came together to support local firefighters as they directed Slovenian, Swiss, and U.S. Army Reserve and National Guard helicopters carrying bambi buckets full of water toward the flames.

The response efforts came on the second weekend in a row that KFOR has supported Kosovo institutions fighting fires in the region. The weekend's response efforts included elements from Multinational Battle Group-East, Multinational Battle Group-West, or MNBG-E, and Joint Regional Detachment-South.

"Every time we dropped a bambi bucket on the fire, every person on the ground would cheer," said Maj. Fred Keller, MNBG-E's deputy operations officer and an experienced helicopter pilot with the North Carolina National Guard. "All of KFOR came together to combat this fire."

"There was fantastic team work on the ground," Keller said. "The local institutions were very happy with how we performed."

Capt. Andrew O'Donnell, a Connecticut Army National Guard Soldier from 1st Battalion, 169th Aviation Regiment, out of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, said letting the local Kosovo institutions lead the way in fighting the fire while KFOR acted as a support element, highlighted the capabilities of Kosovo's institutions, and its partnership with KFOR-NATO's peace support mission in the region.

"I think what we did today had a huge impact on the community," O'Donnell said. "The locals took control of the situation."

As the night went on, the local community, supported by KFOR, successfully extinguished the fires before any homes were affected or citizens were hurt.

Related Links:

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