Local fire department sends firefighters and trucks to battle fires in California
Published at | Updated at
REXBURG – Six Madison County firefighters joined the fight against fires in California Friday.
Two large fires are burning in the Golden State: the Camp Fire in Butte County in the north, and the Woolsey Fire in Ventura County in the south. A third smaller fire, Hill Fire, is being contained near the Woolsey Fire. Madison County’s firefighters are helping out in southern California.
Madison Fire Department Capt. Ellis Johnston is one of those firefighters. He told EastIdahoNews.com they were placed near Ramona, which is near San Diego. They are filling in for the firefighters who are working with the Camp and Woolsey fires.
“We’re not engaged on those bigger ones that are actually making the news,” Johnston said.
Madison County Assistant Fire Chief Troyce Miskin said the fire departments in California sent out requests for resources from other states. Madison County was one department they requested assistance from. They requested four fire trucks, but Madison sent two so they would be able to continue filling their own local needs.
These firefighters could be deployed for up to 16 days, depending on California’s needs. If the fires aren’t out by then, the firefighters could extend their stay, come home or switch out with other Madison County firefighters.
“This is a great opportunity to go help someone else in need,” Johnston said. “It also helps broaden our experience.”
On Monday, Madison’s firefighters visited San Diego Canyon, where 11 firefighters were killed by the Inaja Fire in 1956. Because of the winds in the canyon, the fire flared up and trapped the firefighters. Johnston said this was a reminder of what can happen to firefighters in windy conditions.
Unfortunately, southern California’s seasonal Santa Ana winds have prevailed in the area lately. The winds, which could get up to hurricane force, have been fanning the flames. This could cause the fire to spread further.
As of Wednesday morning, the Woolsey fire was 47 percent contained. It has left two people dead, hurt three firefighters, burned 97,600 acres and destroyed 483 structures.
Ventura County contains the city of Thousand Oaks, which is still recovering from a mass shooting at a bar on Nov. 8. The Woolsey Fire is burning southeast of the area where the shooting happened, while another smaller fire is burning to the northwest.
The Camp Fire, with 135,000 acres burned and at least 48 deaths, is the largest and deadliest fire in recorded California history. This fire has destroyed over 7,600 homes and has over 5,000 personnel working on keeping it contained.
The Hill Fire, which has burned 4,500 acres, is 94 percent contained and has killed no one.
The National Interagency Fire Center, which is based in Boise, said the fires in California have drawn resources from 14 states, including Alaska and South Dakota.