Local firefighters from Stanislaus County sent south to battle Eaton Fire in Los Angeles
Local firefighters were sent to Los Angeles County to battle the Eaton Fire this week.
The fire burned over 14,000 acres of land, destroyed 972 structures, injured five and killed five people since it began on Tuesday, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
A strike team made up of firefighters from all over Stanislaus County were sent south shortly after the fire broke out. The strike team consists of five resources, specialized for brush, and a leader.
Modesto Fire Department Battalion Chief Jeff Serpa, one of the firefighters sent to Los Angeles County, told The Bee the men and women under his command hadn’t slept in 56 hours. While that was unusual for this mission, it wasn’t unusual to go a long time without rest. Serpa said they’ve been working 24-hour shifts since Tuesday in “a Herculean effort by everyone involved.”
“We’re not gonna be able to stop the fire right away,” said Serpa. “But at least divert it, slow it down, put out what we can and most importantly, get people out of it and out of its way.”
The mental and physical toll the operation has taken on firefighters is huge. Serpa said he’s experienced large-scale operations with vast destruction. But for many on his team it’s their first fire.
Serpa described firefighters getting on their hands and knees to look through the charred rubble of destroyed homes to salvage anything they can — including human remains.
While CalFire had confirmed five deaths, the Los Angeles-based news agency KTLA-5 reported that eight were dead.
The Eaton fire mainly burned through brush in the San Gabriel Mountains north of Altadena, but ravaged the neighborhoods beneath them as well. Evacuation orders spanned from La Crescenta in the west to Duarte in the east. These areas are directly north of Pasadena and about 14 miles northeast of downtown Los Angeles.
Serpa is concerned for the well-being of his crew and said support was essential. This includes the simple things: rest, water and food. But it also means regular check-ins to see how they’re holding up. Serpa said the work is so demanding, the simple things they get can go a long way.
“Something as simple as a hot cup of coffee, you know, is a huge uplift for these folks,” said Serpa.
Stanislaus County crews are headquartered at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, where supplies and shelter, in the form of trailers, are placed for firefighters between shifts.
When can they come home?
Serpa said the team would not be coming home to Stanislaus County until they are no longer needed — which is basically when the fire is out.
As of Saturday morning, the fire was 15% contained.
Officials are very concerned about weekend winds expected to gust up to 30 miles per hour with very low humidity. The Eaton fire remained active through Friday night and into Saturday morning — burning an area with “steep inaccessible terrain and critically dry vegetation,” according to a CalFire update briefing.
Numerous fire lines — cleared strips of land that act as barriers to stop the spread of a wildfire — are still needed.
The scene of evacuation areas was described as having “numerous downed trees, downed power lines, gas leaks and power outages,” in a CalFire update published Saturday morning.
Lessons to be brought home
Serpa said once their operation is done, counseling and debriefing would be provided to provide trauma-related relief.
“We’re a brother and sisterhood... We are holding each other up, as we always do,” said Serpa.
As for the lessons to be brought home, Serpa said several fire-fighting experiences were learned that will prove beneficial, especially to those newer firefighters.
“We hopefully will never, ever see a incident of this magnitude in our home territories,” said Serpa. “But what this does is this gives us valuable experience, both for managing incidents, large and small, managing people and it just makes us better firefighters once we come back and continue to operate at our home agencies.”
Serpa said he wanted to convey to the people of Stanislaus County that they need to leave when they’re told to.
On Wednesday morning, 66-year-old Victor Shaw died defending his home from the Eaton Fire’s blaze. His body, discovered by his family, was still holding a garden hose.
Serpa said every home needs to have a plan. Several of the people they encountered, he said, were completely unprepared.
Some of the things he mentioned in order to be prepared were knowing what is a mandatory vs. voluntary evacuation. Also, to have what’s called a ‘go-bag’ with things like a person’s bank cards, medications, car keys and important documents.
“When authorities tell you to evacuate, you need to evacuate,” said Serpa.
Serpa said his team continues to help in any way they can. As of Saturday, they were still going through burned-out neighborhoods and helping out people when they can. He said something as simple as going into a house and getting something for a person “means the world to these people.”
This story was originally published January 11, 2025 at 2:51 PM.
