Four Whitefish firefighters assist with California wildfires
Whitefish Pilot | UPDATED 1 year, 8 months AGO
Whitefish firefighters Glen Hartman, Jamison Smith, Sal Baccaro and Saxton Coorough prior to departing to California to help L.A. area wildfires. (Fire Depatment photo)
Glen Hartman, Jamison Smith, Sal Baccaro and Saxton Coorough of the Whitefish Fire Department went to California last weekend for an 18-plus day assignment.
Montana has committed to sending 10 engines and 30 to 40 personnel through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, a mutual aid agreement among all 50 states.
The Bigfork Fire Department has sent a crew of three along with Bigfork Engine 332. Missoula, Red Lodge, Blackfeet Nation, Butte-Silver Bow, Central Valley, Corvallis and Columbus have also reported sending crews and engines.
The fires are in a densely populated area in the greater Los Angeles area.
As of Monday, Jan. 13, the wildfires have killed at least 24 people, burned over 40,000 acres and destroyed more than 12,300 structures.
The largest of several blazes, the Palisades Fire, has burned over 23,000 acres and was only 14% contained on Monday evening. Santa Ana winds are forecasted to be strong through Wednesday.