Locals help with L.A. County fires

Firefighters from Huntington Beach spent five days battling

wildfires some 75 miles away from their coverage area.

Although the Topanga and Burbank fires raging in north Los Angeles

County weren’t a threat to Huntington Beach, local firefighters were

called in to help.

It’s all part of a statewide mutual-aid agreement among California

fire agencies. Whether it is fighting a brush fire in the Inland

Empire or sifting through floodwaters for hurricane survivors in the

South, local firefighters give help wherever they are needed.

When an emergency overwhelms a city’s resources, backups are

called in, starting with nearby agencies, officials said.

Depending on the incident, resources can be pulled from agencies

within the region, state and, in some cases, across the country,

officials said.

In the last eight years, Huntington Fire has been called out to 34

mutual-aid brush fires, said Fire Chief Duane Olson.

To stay prepared for local emergencies, cities and counties

typically do not send more than one-third of their resources to

assist in a mutual-aid request, officials said.

In addition to the mutual-aid system, Huntington Beach has a

“borderless response” agreement with Costa Mesa, Newport Beach,

Fountain Valley and the Orange County Fire Authority, Olson said.

The dispatch system determines which unit is closest to the scene,

regardless of city, officials said.

Firefighters from Huntington Beach were dispatched to the Topanga

fire Sept. 28, Olson said. The city sent one engine, equipped with

four firefighters, as part of a five-engine strike team.

The strike team stays together until it is no longer needed at the

fire, officials said. The cities and counties have the capability to

communicate on one radio frequency during the emergency. The

Huntington Beach engine returned home Saturday.

Huntington Beach has three fire engines that are equipped to go

with a strike team to mutual-aid calls, Olson said. The engines are

kept ready with strike team supplies such as brush gear, helmets,

canteens and food.

In Huntington Beach, the brush fire risk is low because there are

few areas with heavy brush, Olson said.

“We don’t really have any fire danger specifically,” he said.

However, when strong winds kick up, roof fires can become an

issue.

“The only concern we have with the Santa Anas [winds] is when we

get house fires, wires fires, trash fires next to buildings,” Olson

said. “They blow embers all over the place.”