California Army National Guard answered the call from Cal Fire on the need for Type 2 Hand Crews to be trained and deployed on the fire lines in Northern California in August 2014. Approximately 250 Soldiers from various units formed Task Force 340 and were trained at Camp Roberts by wildland firefighting experts on clearing, tool use, fire shelter, safety, fire tendencies and movement and more to prepare them for long hours, steep terrain and life at the smoky helibases. Most troops volunteered and put on hold their lives, families and jobs to help the state in its recent emergency. Working side-by-side with other fire agencies they cut fire breaks at the Lodge Complex fire in Mendocino, ran hoses and cleared underbrush at the July Complex fire northwest of Shasta National Forest and provided the surge needed to stem the tide and let the firefighters get a handle on the more than 10 wildfires that had sparked over the past two months.