- Lake County News reports
- Posted On
Cal Fire assists in winter storm response
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. – Cal Fire personnel have been a part of the effort to respond to the winter storms here in Lake County and in other parts of the state.
While responding to wildland fires is the department’s primary mission, its firefighters and inmate fire crews provide a valuable resource to local governments and the public during times such as the current winter storm and flood response.
The Cal Fire Sonoma Lake Napa Unit utilizes its winter staff to prepare and respond to local storm-related emergencies.
In fact, the agency reported that more than 60 calls for service were met by Cal Fire personnel over this past weekend alone.
In addition to their regular service areas, Cal Fire responds to any local jurisdiction that requests help through the local Office of Emergency Services.
Cal Fire regularly responds to calls for wildland fires, medical aids, vehicle accidents and structure fires.
The recent storm added calls that ranged from hazardous trees in roadways to stranded residents in Hidden Valley Lake, where Cal Fire and South Lake Fire District’s water rescue trained personnel, in coordination with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office, performed evacuations to deliver residents to safe locations.
On standby during storms are Cal Fire’s inmate fire crews, an excellent workforce when communities face imminent flooding and a large quantity of sandbags must be moved quickly.
Two fifteen person crews were prepositioned in Sonoma County to assist if needed and two crews also provided sandbag work on Grizzly Island in Solano County Friday.
Cal Fire's Boggs Mountain helicopter in Cobb is available to perform search and rescue operations for storm victims when requested as well.
When local emergency operations centers are activated, Cal Fire staff participate remotely and in person to streamline communication and expedite needed responses.
Unit Chief Shana Jones assured the public that Cal Fire personnel will continue to be available as needs arise, and urges everyone to remain safe and use extreme caution when driving in any area where emergency responders are working on incidents.