With firefighting resources spread thin across Los Angeles County, help from state, federal and out of state agencies is on the way, officials announced Wednesday
The California National Guard as well as firefighters from Northern California and out of state are en route to Los Angeles, where resources and personnel are being taxed with several major fires burning.
“There are not enough firefighters in L.A. County to address four separate fires of this magnitude,” Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said during a news conference Wednesday morning. “This is not a normal red flag alert.”
Three of the fires — the Palisades, Eaton and Hurst fires — started Tuesday. A fourth, the Woodley fire, started Wednesday about 6:15 a.m. near the Sepulveda Basin.
Among the help headed to Los Angeles were 200 personnel from the California National Guard, said Col. Brian Hill.
The personnel were hand crews trained by Cal Fire, ready to assist in firefighting efforts, he said.
Hill said that if the weather cooperates, 10 helicopters will be ready to start making water and fire retardant drops by Thursday.
The San Francisco Fire Department said in a post on the social media platform X that it was sending 22 firefighters to assist in the Palisades fire.
“We are always ready and available to assist our partnering agencies in events like this,” the agency wrote on X.
Gov. Gavin Newsom’s office also announced in a statement that additional firefighters from Orange, Santa Barbara, Ventura, Riverside, San Bernardino, San Diego and Cal Fire were being directed to Los Angeles, including 45 additional engines and six hand crews.
Resources were also expected from out of state, with firefighters and engines from Phoenix expected to make the trek to Los Angeles County.
Phoenix “has been called to help fight the devastating blazes in Los Angeles,” Phoenix Mayor Kate Gallego posted on X. “We’re still learning the details of what’s needed, and I expect our teams will be on the ground in LA in the next few days.”
On the federal level, the Biden administration announced that five U.S. Forest Service air tankers were already operating in Los Angeles, and another was en route. Ten federal helicopters were already deployed to the area, and dozens of fire engines were being readied to be deployed if needed.
