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AFR will be joining multiple New Mexico Fire Departments to form a Strike Team that is traveling to California to assist with the firefighting efforts in Los Angeles County.
Source: Albuquerque Fire Rescue (via Facebook)
Photos: Courtesy
Statements from State of California Fire Bureau (fire.ca.gov):
An inaccurate social media post is currently circulating on Facebook. The post claims that individuals can come to California to join a clean-up crew in areas affected by recent LA wildfires. This information is false, and we would like to clarify that there is no such opportunity available. We kindly ask that you refrain from calling to inquire about this.
Join the Effort: How You Can Help During the Fires
Albuquerqe Fire and Rescue will be joining multiple New Mexico Fire Departments to form a Strike Team that is traveling to California to assist with the firefighting efforts in Los Angeles County. California made the request for resources and New Mexico was quick to answer. A Strike Team is made up of five firefighting resources that are assigned to a Strike Team Leader for quick deployments in a targeted area. This Strike Team will be led by a member from Santa Fe City and is made up of resources from Albuquerque Fire Rescue, Bernalillo County Fire Rescue, Los Alamos County Fire, San Juan County Fire and Santa Fe City Fire.
AFR is sending Engine 317, a Type 3 Brush Truck, staffed with four personnel from the Wildland Task Force. A Type 3 Brush Truck must carry at least 500 gallons of water, be able to flow 150 gallons per minute, carry 1000 feet of 1.5” hose and 500 feet of 1” hose. Engine 317 is a 2013 International Workstar built by KME Fire that is built on a 4-wheel drive chassis.
These resources are currently convoying out to California. They will receive assignments on arrival and the deployment will be for two weeks. Cal-Fire is in command of this event. Crews will be rotated out if resources are needed beyond two weeks.
“AFR’s Wildland Division is always ready to deploy to wherever they are needed,” said Fire Chief Emily Jaramillo. “As soon as the request for resources came in from California to New Mexico, AFR filled their portion of the request and began making preparations to deploy. This is a historic and catastrophic fire event and AFR is committed to filling requests if possible.”
Albuquerque wasn’t the only regional authority to dispatch help to the region. Navajo Nation President Buu Nygren announced their contribution with a prayer posted on Facebook:
PRAYERS TO OUR BRAVE NAVAJO SCOUTS WHO ARE ON THEIR WAY TO CALIFORNIA TO FIGHT THE WILDFIRES
As more people evacuate the Los Angeles area from the blazing wildfires, our Navajo Scouts, a Type 2 IA team, are answering the call to help fight and protect the millions of people in LA County who are fleeing their homes.
I ask that we, as a united Navajo people, keep our Navajo Scouts in our thoughts and prayers. Let us send them our heartfelt wishes for protection, so that they may return home safely after aiding our relatives in Southern California during this challenging time.
According to reports from California Fire, there are currently five active fires: the Palisades Fire, the Eaton Fire, the Hurst Fire, the Lidia Fire, and the Sunset Fire. The Palisades Fire has already burned over 17,234 acres, while the Eaton Fire has charred approximately 10,600 acres. Both of these fires ignited on January 7 and have forced massive evacuations, destroying homes and property, and tragically resulting in five lives lost.
The cause of these wildfires has been undetermined as of this social media post. However, extreme fire behavior has been attributed to the Santa Ana winds combined with the dry conditions that have been exacerbated by climate change.
Our Navajo Scouts, a dedicated team of 23 members, including a courageous female wildland firefighter, are highly trained and available to combat fires like these for ten months out of the year. They represent various communities across the Navajo Nation, united in their mission to help those in need.
Let us continue to pray for our Navajo Scouts and for the safety of everyone affected by these wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
