More troops from the California National Guard have been mobilized to help the fight against multiple fires in Los Angeles County. Gov. Gavin Newsom announced Saturday afternoon that the state was doubling the amount of National Guard personnel deployed, with 1,680 California National Guardsmen now active in the Los Angeles area.
The move comes as the deadly wildfires continue for the fifth day. The Palisades and Eaton fires, around the Pacific Palisades and Altadena neighborhoods, have destroyed more than 36,000 acres and killed at least 11 people, according to the county coroner’s office. Several smaller fires continue to burn as well, with limited containment. Tens of thousands have been forced to evacuate since fires started on Tuesday, Jan. 7. The fires rapidly spread due to extreme dry conditions and strong Santa Ana winds, with gusts as high as 100 mph pushing embers and sparks.
More than 600 California National Guardsmen were already deployed to the Los Angeles area since Thursday. With the new deployments, more than 1,000 troops from the Military Police Forces are on the ground helping local police and firefighters with traffic coordination around evacuation zones and law enforcement.
“We are continuing to rush in resources to rapidly respond to the firestorm in Los Angeles fueled by hurricane-force winds,” Newsom said in a statement.
In total more than 12,000 personnel from California, ranging from firefighters to military service members, are involved in fighting the blazes. More than 60 aircraft are also assigned to the effort. Additionally, Wyoming and Nevada have deployed National Guard personnel to California.
The three states have mobilized multiple C-130 Hercules aircraft fitted with Modular Aerial Fire Fighting Systems, which allow them to drop fire retardant from planes onto active blazes. Aerial firefighting operations have proved essential in the past week as many of the fires are burning in areas with difficult terrain and limited access to ground crews. The C-130s are being operated by the California Air National Guard’s 146th Airlift Wing, the Nevada National Guard’s 152nd Airlift Wing and 192nd Airlift Squadron, and the Wyoming National Guard’s 153rd Airlift Wing and 187th Airlift Squadron. Additionally, the U.S. Air Force Reserve’s 302nd Airlift Wing is also sending an MAFFS-equipped C-130. Each MAFFs unit features a 11,000-pound tank that can be refilled in under 15 minutes and can drop roughly 28,000 gallons of fire retardant.
In addition to the National Guard, the Department of Defense announced additional military support for Los Angeles. Active-duty Marines based at Camp Pendleton further south in California are mobilizing to help with search and rescue efforts as well as road clearing activities. Multiple Navy helicopters equipped with systems to carry and drop water are also being sent to the Los Angeles area, according to a Pentagon spokesperson.
High winds and dry conditions are expected to continue into the following week, according to meteorologists.
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