Bay Area Firefighters On the Move to Where They're Most Needed

Firefighters from several Bay Area fire departments are on the move, helping fight fires where they're most needed across the state.

The San Francisco Fire Department sent 26 firefighters and six engines to combat the Cranston Fire in the San Jacinto Mountains above Palm Springs late last week.

On Sunday, they were sent to help control the fires in Mendocino.

There, the San Francisco team joined two additional fire engines which were already there, bringing the total number of San Francisco personnel in Mendocino to 35.

Oakland, San Rafael, San Jose and other Bay Area fire departments have also deployed relief crews to fire zones around California.

Their presence is at the behest of the California Office of Emergency Services.

"We're looking at all of the assets in California," said California Office of Emergency Services director Mark Ghilarducci. "And like a chess game, we're strategically moving those assets throughout the state, possibly off of existing fires that have a lower priority to new fires that have a higher priority. And so there's always — during this period of time — a transition of fire assets and personnel moving."

Ghilarducci said the Bay Area fire departments are important to the fire rescue effort.

"They have been great co-operators," Ghilarducci said. "I see them out in the field. They're there working hard protecting lives and property."

San Francisco Fire Department spokesman Lt. Jonathan Baxter said when the call comes from Sacramento, his department evaluates inner city needs to figure out what resources it can send.

Baxter said all firefighters on the city's strike teams sent around the state sign up to be deployed voluntarily. They commit to up to 15-day-long field assignments. After 15 days, the department sends out a fresh, new crew to relieve the team in place.

“We do that because these firefighters are working extremely hard non-stop and they’re away from their families," Baxter said.