
By Sara Beth Williams–
An engine from Citrus Heights is part of several fire crews sent to Southern California to fight the wildfires burning in Los Angeles County.
Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District Battalion Chief Parker Wilbourn reported after the Palisades Fire exploded in size last week that two strike teams were being deployed to help assist firefighters down south. The Palisades fire first began on the morning of Tuesday, Jan. 7, and at least two strike teams were assembled and deployed within 24 hours, according to officials.
Deployed teams consisted of multiple fire crew personnel, at least five Type 3 Cal OES brush engines, a strike team leader from Metro Fire, and team leaders from several other fire teams from across the region. Crew members included four members from Engine 23 in Citrus Heights. Wilbourn said on Wednesday that Citrus Heights crew members are currently assisting on the Palisades Fire and are expected to assist for up to 14 days total before crews are swapped out. Wilbourn also said deployments “will not affect our response capabilities here at home.”
“The damage they’re reporting is nothing short of apocalyptic,” Wilbourn reported following the strike teams’ encounters with fighting the fires down south. “There are strong parallels with this fire to Maui, Santa Rosa, and other major incidents,” Wilbourn said.
Over the past week, fire crews have assisted on the front lines in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood on the westside of Los Angeles, battling homes engulfed in flames, helping to save the family home of a Montecito Fire crewmember and assisting with a burning high school, which Wilbourn said puts the “compounding impacts” of the major wildfire event “into perspective.”
“Children won’t have a classroom to attend. People have lost their lives, their homes, their jobs, their livelihoods,” Wilbourn said.
NBC News reported Jan. 16 that at least 27 deaths have resulted from both the Palisades and Eaton fires, and 31 persons are reported as missing. At least 12,000 structures have been destroyed from both fires. Combined, the fires have burned over 37,800 acres, according to CalFire. Other small fires have also caused damage in outlying areas. AccuWeather estimates that the Los Angeles County fires may cost between $250 and $275 billion in damages.
An engine from Citrus Heights is part of several fire crews sent to Southern California to fight the wildfires....
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