East Fork Fire Protection District engine Brush 7 leaves for Los Angeles on Wednesday.
East Fork Professional Firefighters
Firefighters from the Sierra Front are mustering to head south to aid Southern Californians battling four wildfires driven by Santa Ana winds.
Walker Fire Chief Rich Nalder said he could see smoke from Lancaster, Calif., as he and a Mono County strike team were southbound to help with the fires burning in Los Angeles.
Nalder’s task force consisted of four engines and a water tender operated by 20 firefighters.
He said they were put on call a couple of days ago and staged in Mammoth in preparation for making the long drive to the fires.
Nalder is no stranger to fighting fires in the region, but said it was the first time he’s had one in January.
“I expect to see what I saw in Mountain View, but much more congested,” he said. “There will be really high winds that make it almost impossible to fight the fire. We’ll come in behind the fire so we can save what’s left. You don’t want to get in front of one of these. It’s like stepping in front of a car.”
Nalder said his team was assigned to the Hurst Fire burning near Simi Valley.
The Palisades Fire burning just north of the city was first reported on Tuesday and has already claimed nearly 16,000 acres. The 10,000-acre Eaton Fire claimed two civilian lives, according to Los Angeles County fire officials.
East Fork Fire Protection District Brush 7 left for Los Angeles on Wednesday as part of a strike force of Nevada firefighters that includes Tahoe-Douglas.
It has been two months since an East Fork firefighting team responded to the Mountain Fire in Ventura County, where they helped a woman find her wedding ring, as detailed in a Los Angeles Times feature story.
