While many fire crews from the East Valley have returned home from the California wildfires, Rural/Metro Fire Department still has a crew from its Pinal County operations putting out hot spots.
Rural/Metro Wildland Fire Chief Wyatt Oden said three crews from the company’s Arizona operations were sent to the wildfires in Southern California, including two from the East Valley and one from Tucson.
One East Valley crew will arrive home today, but a crew from Pinal County and the crew from Tucson continue to ensure fires and hot spots are out at the fire lines.
“They are turning the dirt over to make sure there are no embers burning beneath the surface that could reignite a fire,” Rural/Metro spokeswoman Alison Cooper said.
The Tucson crew is working at the Slide Fire in San Bernardino County. According to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site, that fire has burned more than 12,700 acres and is 95 percent contained.
A crew of three firefighters from Pinal County is working at the Witch Fire in San Diego County. That fire has burned nearly 200,000 acres and is 97 percent contained, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection Web site.
“They are happy to be part of the effort — the terrain has been difficult, the most difficult obstacle for them,” Oden said. “We’re glad to help in any way that we can. We’re very proud of our guys and the work that they’ve done over there.”
