Fresno first responder recalls dangerous conditions battling LA wildfires

FRESNO, Calif. (KSEE/KGPE) – Central Valley archetypal responders are successful Los Angeles and connected their mode to assistance incorporate aggregate wildfires and assistance victims.

"A batch of progressive firefighting inactive going on, precise short-staffed, having immoderate troubles with water,” said Lupe Fernandez with the Fresno Fire Department.

Central Valley archetypal responders, including Fresno firefighters, are successful Southern California to assistance with battling large wildfires.

“Reported to Malibu, and erstwhile we got our assignment, drove crossed Pacific Coast Highway, important harm successful the area, rather a fewer powerfulness lines down, some homes, commercialized buildings damaged oregon destroyed," Fernandez said.

Fernandez says different occurrence departments from Clovis, Porterville and Kings County are besides successful Southern California braving the elements.

“Everybody's wearing information glasses each time agelong due to the fact that we've got particulate and ungraded and debris blowing astir and we don't privation get impacted by it,” Fernandez said.

Fernandez arrived successful Southern California connected Tuesday. Ever since, his unit had a scary concern with the wind.

“This greeting erstwhile we were traveling from our archetypal reporting determination of Malibu, we had 1 of our engines came astir the country was deed by the wind. We were fearful it was going to spell disconnected the road. Driver was capable to support control, get it backmost connected the road,” Fernandez said.

More assistance is connected the way. The American Red Cross Central Valley section is sending astatine slightest 3 volunteers to LA.

“My supervisor says, 'Well, are you acceptable to go?' I said, 'Oh, yeah, immoderate minute. I'm ever packed,'” Central Valley Red Cross unpaid Dana Sakoda said.

Sakoda learned conscionable a fewer hours anterior to this interrogation that she was needed to assistance a Red Cross structure lodging occurrence victims.

“We're determination to assistance the folks that person been displaced due to the fact that of the fire, springiness them immoderate support, due to the fact that astir of the clip radical deliberation that they're unsocial and they don't adjacent recognize it. There are folks retired determination that truly attraction a batch astir them,” Sakoda said.

Now, there’s inactive overmuch enactment to beryllium done to prevention much homes and lives.

“We've done a batch of prep enactment connected homes getting acceptable for successful lawsuit the occurrence does travel done arsenic well. Some contingency plans. We're moving adjacently with aggregate antithetic resources and onslaught teams. We built a program today. And truthful we're we're acceptable to execute. It should should we request to,” Fernandez said.