Ohio Task Force 1 members, K-9s head to Maui to help in wake of deadly wildfires

VANDALIA — Some members of Ohio Task Force 1 (OH-TF1) have been deployed to Maui to help in the aftermath of the deadly wildfires.

OH-TF1 announced Tuesday that they would be sending three human remains detection dogs and their handlers to Hawaii. While they were originally scheduled to leave around noon, they announced overnight that their departure times have been moved up to Wednesday morning.

>> PHOTOS: Ohio Task Force 1 deploys to Maui

News Center 7 was there Wednesday as members of the team left to head to Maui. Members like Heather Ferguson said they don’t know how long they’ll be gone.

“I have a one-way ticket,” Ferguson said.

She said she and her teammates are going to Hawaii with their only focus, which is to “return loved ones to their family members” and bring them closure.

Ferguson, along with two other volunteers are only bringing a couple of bags with them. She wanted to save room for more stuff for the dogs, Melvin, Sonny, and Major.

“These dogs are highly experienced. They’ve deployed multiple times,” Ferguson said.

>> Photos: Aftermath of Hawaii fires

Now the dogs and their handlers are going to, Hawaii where at least 106 people have died as a result of the wildfires, making it the deadliest wildfire in the United States in more than a century. They’ll be searching for those who did not make it to safety.

While the job is dangerous, it’s something everyone on the task force believes in.

“Our ability to bring that closure to families is what helps us to know that we’re doing good work,” Ferguson said.

Prior to Maui, OH-TF1 responded to disasters like the 9/11 terror attacks and the 2021 Surfside condo collapse in Florida.

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