Firefighters from Los Angeles and Orange counties have dedicated multiple resources to help battle wildfires in Northern California, officials said Monday.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department has sent between 125 and 150 firefighters to help battle the Butte Fire in Amador and Calaveras counties, the Valley Fire in Lake County and the Rough Fire in Fresno County, said department Dispatch Supervisor Kyle Sanford.
The Orange County Fire Authority dispatched 70 firefighters this past weekend to help squelch blazes in Amador County and elsewhere in Northern California. Most of the agency’s resources were sent to battle the Butte Fire, which has blackened 71,000 acres.
The Los Angeles Fire Department has sent two strike teams and other personnel and resources to Northern California and other states including Washington, said department spokesman Erik Scott.
An LAFD chief officer is also supervising a strike team made up of personnel from the Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Culver City fire departments, Scott said.
About 32 LAFD firefighters were deployed, he said.
Garden Grove sent two engine companies, two battalion chiefs and one line EMT to the blazes, according to Fire Capt. Thanh Nguyen.
Costa Mesa’s Engine 84 chipped in at the Butte Fire, and at one point, the firefighters reported, the flames grew so intense that it jumped a fire line, prompting a quick retreat by firefighters.
The city of Orange’s department sent two Type 1 Engine Strike Teams, with four firefighters, two line medics a “Rapid Extrication Module,” which is manned by two firefighters, according to Capt. Casey Fieldhouse. Overall, there are 12 firefighters from Orange battling blazes in Northern California, Fieldhouse said.
Fullerton and Brea’s combined department has sent an engine, a battalion chief and a deputy chief to the Butte Fire, according to Deputy Fire Chief Julie Kunze.
— City News Service