Firefighters and equipment from Central Texas deployed to help battle California wildfires

LAGO VISTA, Texas — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has directed the Texas Department of Emergency Management (TDEM) to send firefighters, emergency personnel, fire engines and equipment to help fight wildfires in California.

Abbott said in his announcement that the California Office of Emergency Services has asked for help responding to the devastating wildfires.

“Our hearts grieve with the entire Los Angeles community as they continue to respond to these destructive wildfires,” the governor said. “Texans know all too well the devastation wildfires can cause to our communities, and our country is stronger when we come together in times of crisis.”

According to Abbott, TDEM will deploy more than 135 firefighters and other personnel, as well as 45 fire engines, ambulances, command vehicles, and other equipment.

“Once those crews arrive, they will receive more specific assignments,” Wes Rapaport, the Section Chief for Media & Communications at the Texas Division of Emergency Management, said. “They are prepared to support a variety of roles in support of the wildfire mission in California, ranging from responding to the fire line itself or backfilling local fire departments supporting emergency operation centers.”

Fire departments across Texas are also headed west to help those battling the wildfires, from the Panhandle down to the Rio Grande Valley and everywhere in between. It is a mix of state and local first responders.

“We want to help our brothers and sisters, and we want to stop the devastation and get this thing back to normal,” Travis County ESD 1 Chief Donnie Norman said.

Travis County ESD 1 is sending four firefighters to California. The department said Battalion Chief Tim Robeson, Lt. Jared Truair, Lt. Andrew Rodriguez and Driver Cale Thomason departed Saturday morning to help with the wildfires.

“It is a long drive, and then when you get there, you’re pretty much going to hit the ground running,” Chief Norman said. “Once you get checked in, the expectation is that you’re ready to go to work.”

Chief Norman knows what these crews will face first-hand. He has been a part of several strike teams and spent four weeks in California in July, helping battle the Park Fire.

“It will be very labor intensive, whether they’re working 12-hour shifts or 24-hour shifts. There will be little or no downtime,” Norman said. “You’re not going to be sleeping in the best accommodations.”

“Everybody that’s on the strike team, everybody from Texas, everybody from every state, will go out there with the expectation that the work is going to be hard, but it’s going to be rewarding despite the hard work,” Norman said.

The Kyle Fire Department, also known as Hays County ESD No. 5, is sending four firefighters, along with Chief Kyle Taylor.

“The wildfires in California have devastated communities, and our crew is prepared to assist with firefighting operations, rescue efforts, and recovery,” the department wrote on Facebook. “We are proud to be part of the larger effort to protect lives and property. The cooperation between local and out-of-state departments is vital in such a large-scale emergency, and we are honored to be able to contribute.”

They are part of a team of dedicated first responders from Central Texas that are headed west to help battle the wildfires. In total, the state Deployed 5 Strike Teams which is 25 engines, 5 Strike Team Leaders and approximately 100 personnel.

“We stand united with our fellow first responders and the residents of California during this challenging time,” the Kyle Fire Department said. “Our thoughts are with all those impacted, and we remain committed to supporting our brothers and sisters in the field.”

Abbott said this deployment is made possible through the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System.

In addition to TDEM, the Texas A&M Forest Service and Texas Emergency Medical Task Force are also deploying resources.

“We know what the mission is. And, you know, we want to help,” Norman said. “We want to go there to help. We’re trained to do it. We’re available to do it, so we’re prepared.”

The deployment of strike teams is strategic. It is a balancing act to send the needed resources to California while keeping enough resources in Texas to be prepared for a situation or incident here.

Norman said they don’t want to take all the resources from one area.

The strike team Travis County ESD 1 is a part of consists of five other firefighting units (made up of personnel from Texarkana, Lubbock, Nacogdoches, Marble Falls and Pflugerville) and a designated strike team leader.

“It is like a brand new fire department you just went to work for. When you leave here and when we get to California, no one would ever know that these people had just met, that we had just got together, because of the high standards and the way Texas has put together these teams,” Norman said. “Any one of us can be put into a strike team and be ready to go, and there’s not a learning curve there that we’re trained and ready for action when we arrive.”

According to California’s fire service, the largest fire is the Palisades fire. It has burned 22,000 and is only 11% contained.

Their training is the same as that of crews from other states, and the Texas crews have a good working relationship with Cal Fire.

“We’ve worked with them before on a lot of other fires. We will mesh right in with them,” Norman said. “We speak the same language, we have the same strategies, the same tactics. It’s a very well-oiled machine.”

Dallas Fire-Rescue said they were sending a Type 3 fire engine staffed with four wildland firefighters and two DFR members as part of an Emergency Medical Task Force to provide critical medical support for fire crews.

The strike team comprises five firefighting units (including personnel from Parker County, Greenville, Allen, Frisco and McKinney) and a designated strike team leader.

“We stand in solidarity with the teams of firefighters working to protect lives and property,” said Justin Ball, Dallas Fire Rescue Interim Fire Chief. “Dallas Fire Rescue Department is always ready to step in to support our fellow firefighters, especially in these extremely challenging conditions.”

The deployment is expected to last at least 14 days, with the possibility of extension based on operational needs and conditions on the ground. Rapaport said they may do a crew swap after a few weeks, but the crews will be there to support California as long as they are needed.

“I thank all the brave firefighters and first responders who are answering the call to help Californians in need as these fires continue to burn,” Abbott said in a press release. “Cecilia and I pray for the victims who lost their lives and their families, the heroic men and women of CAL FIRE, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and the entire state of California during this difficult time.”