California is under a fiery siege, and emergency responders across the state and country have been dispatched in large numbers to stem the flaming tide.
Santa Barbara County Fire sent a team of two engines on Nov. 9 to the 125,000-acre Camp Fire in Northern California. As of Nov. 13, the blaze had claimed more than 40 civilian lives and destroyed at least 6,500 homes. It is the most destructive fire in California’s recorded history. The total number for emergency personnel on scene is around 5,000.
County Fire sent more resources just a few hours’ drive to the south, where a combined 3,200 firefighters were attempting to rein in the Woolsey Fire burning through rural Ventura County. As of the Sun‘s press time, more than 91,000 acres had been scorched by the Santa Ana-wind-driven inferno.
According to spokesperson Mike Eliason, a team of roughly 50 Santa Barbara County firefighters, including air units, were providing aid to the Woolsey Fire. They are joined by the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office and Santa Barbara Police Department, which sent a combined 36 peace officers on Nov. 8 to assist with mandatory evacuations in areas threatened by encroaching flames. The Sheriff’s Office also sent a helicopter to aid in water drops over the fire.
There are two reported deaths due to the Woolsey Fire and, on Nov. 13, the blaze was only 20 percent contained. The National Weather Service reported that morning that the chances of future wind events would decrease as the week progressed. Onshore winds are expected to arrive by the weekend, bringing with them the coastal marine layer along with cooler and wetter conditions conducive to knocking down flames.
Cal Fire estimates the conflagration will be completely contained by around Nov. 15.
In the meantime, Santa Barbara County firefighters on scene will assist with suppression efforts from both land and air, according to Eliason. He told the Sun that crews were expecting a busy day on Nov. 13.
“The winds have picked up again,” he said. “It may be calm here [in Santa Barbara County], but as soon as you get down to Ventura, it’s howling.”
Santa Barbara County sent first responders to help fight the fires across the state due to California’s Office of Emergency Services’ Mutual Aid Plan. The system has been in place since the early ’60s and operates under the concept that should a disaster, event, or situation exceed a local government’s capability to handle, nearby or neighboring law enforcement agencies will assist them. On the lowest level, nearby cities help one another, followed by the county, which is then followed by other counties assisting the municipality requesting aid.
A similar program exists at the federal level, which is why California currently has planes and firefighters pouring in from states like Utah and Washington to help with the current conflagrations.
“It’s just a really good method of getting resources,” Eliason said. “We need them, they come here. If they need you, you go [to them].”
This article appears in Nov 15-22, 2018.