Firefighters from Northern California and neighboring Arizona have been dispatched to Southern California as wildfires continue to wreak havoc in Los Angeles County.
Fires ignited on Tuesday afternoon due to the rapid spread of high-speed winds, called the Santa Ana winds. These winds swiftly carried the flames from a small fire into Pacific Palisades, an upscale neighborhood in Los Angeles. By Wednesday morning, two more fires erupted in the San Fernando Valley and the canyons above Altadena, while the Palisades fire extended its reach to Malibu and Calabasas.
Firefighters from Alameda County in Northern California and the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management have been called in to help the Los Angeles Fire Department due to the fire’s fast-growing nature and its potential to spread to more populated areas of Los Angeles.
On January 8, 2025, Alameda County Firefighters will be teaming up with fire agencies in the county area, including Oakland Fire (OFD), Hayward Fire (HFD), and Fremont Fire (FFD), to form a strike team led by @Cal_OES. They are being deployed to Southern California to assist with the Palisades fire. #ALCOFIRE #ALCOFirefighters #Palisadesfire pic.twitter.com/1dUuojVmrD
On January 8, 2025, Alameda County Firefighters are joining county area fire agency partners, including Oakland Fire (OFD), Hayward Fire (HFD), and Fremont Fire (FFD) as part of a @Cal_OES Strike Team headed to Southern California. #ALCOFIRE#ALCOFirefighters#Palisadesfire pic.twitter.com/1dUuojVmrD
— Alameda County Fire (@AlamedaCoFire) January 8, 2025
The Alameda County Fire Department’s official Twitter account, @AlamedaCoFire, regularly updates its followers with important information and news.
Arizona’s team, consisting of nine fire engines, two water tenders, and two task force leaders, is confirmed to be heading to California, according to KPHO-TV, the CBS Phoenix affiliate.
The LAFD started requesting off-duty firefighters to come in after hours of battling the fires. Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) announced that over 1,400 firefighting personnel and additional resources were on their way to Los Angeles.
None of the three fires have been contained, leaving thousands of people in danger. Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for over 80,000 individuals, while a staggering 300,000 residents in California continue to grapple with power outages. The severity of the situation is evident as firefighters struggle to gain control over the blazing infernos.
Los Angeles, the most populous county in the country, has reported two deaths.