Los Angeles Wildfire: Thousands of Firefighters Fight the Blaze, 5,000 Camped at Malibu Beach for Rest
Los Angeles — A massive camp has been set up on Malibu's golden beach for firefighters battling the wildfires in Los Angeles, where firefighters from across North America are resting. This beach has become home to thousands of firefighters.
When not engaged in the fight against the wildfires in Southern California, firefighters take refuge at Zuma Beach, where they eat, sleep, and recuperate. About 5,000 first responders move between trailers and tents at the camp. The camp comes to life before dawn as thousands line up for breakfast.
The presence of firefighting battalions from across California and the western United States, along with a newly arrived team from Mexico, is evident at the camp. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day for many, as it provides them with the energy needed for their shifts.
The food is being prepared by a team of inmates from California's prisons, brought in to help with one of the largest disaster responses the state has ever seen. Correctional Officer Terry Cook, who oversees the inmates, said he occasionally sees familiar faces among the regular firefighters, people who turned their lives around after serving their sentences. "I’ve run into inmates that were at my camp two years ago, and I see them in line here, and I shake their hands, and I say ‘congratulations,’" he said.
Two massive wildfires, which began last Tuesday amidst strong winds, have already scorched 40,000 acres (16,000 hectares). At least 24 people have died, more than 12,000 structures have been destroyed, and 92,000 people have been forced to leave their homes, including the wealthy Pacific Palisades, located just a few miles from the firefighters’ camp.
After breakfast, teams prepare their vehicles and arm themselves with snacks, sandwiches, drinks, and sweets for their shifts. With the threat of dangerous winds over the region, some units are dispatched to tackle new outbreaks, while others focus on containing the original fires.
Each team sets off with orders in hand, fanning out along the streets of Pacific Palisades or into the rugged brush of Topanga Canyon. For some, this is their first time in the field, while for others, it's just another day in a long week.
Jake Dean, a firefighter with 26 years of experience, says he has never seen a fire as destructive as this. "After the first day, many people that I’ve known for a long time barely recognized me," he said. "My phone didn’t recognize me to turn on, I was so tired and dirty."
However, with large air operations tackling the fire on all fronts, Dean feels that their work is starting to pay off. "Today won’t be so bad," he said. "We’ll pace ourselves, drink plenty of water, and be ready for a long haul here and at the next fire."
