200 Texans Among Those Battling Devastating California Blaze

As firefighters work around the clock to battle the deadliest California fire in history, more than 200 Texans are on the front lines doing what they can to help.

They were dispatched this week as part of the Texas Interstate Fire Mutual Aid System. Those men and women represent departments from all over the state and several in North Texas like Dallas, Fort Worth, Flower Mound, Plano, McKinney, Southlake, Prosper and Parker.

Deputy Chief Kyle Mills says his team from Frisco arrived with an engine Wednesday to help fight the Woolsey fire that’s ravaged Los Angeles and Ventura Counties.

“It’s just devastating the kind of loss that these Californians have experienced,” said Mills.

Between the Woolsey and Camp Fires, more than 10,000 structures have been destroyed and at least 74 people have been declared dead. Another 1,300 are unaccounted for.

It’s wide-sweeping devastation that has also touched some of the men and women working around the clock to stop it.

“Their resiliency out here has been phenomenal. You know, it’s funny. No matter where you go across the nation, firefighters are generally the same. We’ve heard stories of firefighters dropping everything at their own homes to help their neighbors and actually losing their own homes… to firefighters who knew they were in the path and went into work anyway knowing that they would lose their homes,” said Mills.

With the Woolsey fire now 80 percent contained, Mills is hopeful Saturday’s assessment will show the nightmare is coming to an end. He won’t learn until Sunday, however, how much longer he and his fellow Texans are needed on the front lines.

It’s likely, he said, they’ll be home before their families sit down to their Thanksgiving meals. But if they’re still needed, he says their dedication to helping their fellow firefighter’s remains the priority. Just as the firefighters in California have put their community and their neighbors above all else.

“I think it’s just the calling that they have, that we have, that no matter whether you’re in Texas or California it’s the same. It’s just that everyone’s trying to help people,” said Mills.

Saturday shifts for crews were reduced from 24 hours to 12. They say higher humidity is helping the fight. 

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