ESD 1 firefighters to assist in battle against California wildfires

Two firefighters with Parker County Emergency Services District 1 are traveling to California to help battle destructive wildfires across the state. Deploying with 31 other fire departments through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS), Brush 34, a Type III wildland engine, mustered at the Dallas Fire Training Center today with numerous apparatus from other north Texas fire departments to be shipped to the CAL-FIRE division headquarters in Sacramento.

Brush 34 joined other apparatus in Dallas today to make the trip to California.

District 1’s Captain Mike Ellis and Steve Green will join 91 other Texas firefighters flying to Sacramento on Wednesday to rendezvous with their apparatus and join the firefight at the Mendocino County Fire Complex in Lake County, now reported to be the largest wildfire ever in California’s history, having consumed 411 square miles so far. Cost for the deployment will be covered by the State of California through the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, an agreement between states to share emergency response resources during disasters.

The Parker County firefighters will be assigned to assist for the next 14 days, marking ESD 1’s sixth deployment through the TIFMAS program, including assistance to the City of Beaumont during Hurricane Harvey, and several responses to wildfires in west Texas.