Shasta-Trinity Forest firefighters, mules, to march in the Rose Parade on New Year’s Day

U.S. Forest Service firefighters from Trinity County who use mules and horses to fight wildfires will walk in a more urban setting on New Year’s Day.

Fire crews and forest service packers from the Trinity River Management Unit will ride their furry companions in the 135th annual Rose Parade in Pasadena, according to the Shasta-Trinity National Forest Service.

As of Friday Dec. 29, the mule teams were 49th in the lineup, U.S. Forest Service spokesperson Ruth Esperance said.

Equine groups are one of the famous parade’s four entry categories, according to event planners.

“Pack teams carry forest range specialists to monitor range lands, (and) assist and resupply fire crews working deep in wilderness areas,” according to the forest service. Packers care for the animals, load them with equipment and lead the teams.

Accessories make the outfit: Shasta-Trinity National Forest pack mule “Ivan” poses for his Christmas closeup in Santa-style bridle with bells. A local celebrity and outreach animal, Ivan is a member U.S. Forest Service’s pack team of horses and mules. Rangers/Packers use them to carry equipment and to travel to remote forest areas for a variety of reasons, including fighting wildfires.

Mules in the Trinity River Unit can carry up to 150 to 200 pounds of equipment into steep canyons and other places where smoke from wildfire is too thick for aircraft to see the ground, Esperance said in an interview during the Deep Fire in 2023.

More: Mules, horses give an assist to forest service crews fighting wildfires in Trinity County

Forest service firefighters rode in mule trains to battle the Deep Fire, which consumed 4,198 acres in the Trinity Nation Forest between its start on Aug. 16 and its end on Oct. 2, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.

The Shasta-Trinity National Forest keeps 30 mules and five horses for firefighting, rotating the animals’ shifts so they have plenty of time to rest between jobs, Esperance said.

Mules and horses are an important part of fighting fires in Northern California, according to Esperance.

“Inversions are a common occurrence, meaning that smoke from the fires will lay in the drainages and make visibility difficult, if not impossible,” for airplanes and helicopters. They also cost less than flying aircraft, she said.

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The furry firefighters are “hard-working employees of the U.S. Forest Service,” not typical farm animals. They’re out with firefighters eight months a year, working “hard for the taxpayer and so much work gets done with their help,” Esperance said.

The Rose Parade includes equestrian units like the Trinity National Forest Service’s, floral decorated floats, bands and tournament entries, according to the Tournament of Roses website.

People can watch the parade from 8 a.m. to noon on television ― for a list of networks go to tournamentofroses.com/broadcast-partners ― or stream it live. Go to tournamentofroses.com/about/where-to-watch for more information.

Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you.

This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Shasta-Trinity firefighters to appear in Pasadena’s 135th Rose Parade