Bay Area Fire Crews Sent To Battle King Fire Near Lake Tahoe
SANTA CLARA (KCBS)— As part of statewide mutual aid, the Santa Clara County Fire Department has sent a strike team, to El Dorado County's King Fire, one of the largest wildfires burning in California.
The Type 3 strike team, sent to the blaze between Sacramento and Lake Tahoe, includes five fire engines, plus two battalion chiefs. Officials say the fire shows little signs of slowing.
Fire crews from San Francisco and Contra Costa County are also being sent to help battle the fires. The King Fire has burned more than 18,500 acres and is threatening more than 2,000 homes and other structures.
Bay Area Fire Crews Sent To Battle King Fire Near Lake Tahoe
"We sent all six of those resources over to the fire just outside of Pollock Pines," said Battalion Chief Kendall Pierson. He blamed the drought for paving the way for an "exponential" expansion of the wildfire.
"We're keeping in contact with them, usually once every 24 hours or so. So far no news is good news," he said.
The state is dealing with a dozen major wildfires, mostly in Northern California.
Cal-Fire's Dennis Matheson said they have to make careful decisions about where they send fire crews.
"Whether it's lives, property or environmental assets or infrastructure; those factors do play into which incidents get the immediate need resources," he said.
Crews deployed to the King Fire lines are being replaced by off-duty firefighters, and Santa Clara County officials do not expect any impact on normal operations.
