SALT LAKE COUNTY, Utah, Jan 10, 2025 (Gephardt Daily) – Utah firefighters and other emergency personnel are joining the battle against the raging wildfires ravaging Los Angeles County.
The group, which includes 64 firefighters and emergency personnel from at least 17 agencies, departed Thursday morning and will be gone for at least two weeks.
The Utah Department of Public Safety (DPS) and the Utah Department of Natural Resources (DNR) received the call for help under the auspices of the multi-state Emergency Management Assistance Compact (EMAC), which is designed to facilitate assistance in response to state-declared emergencies.
Local firefighting agencies sending personnel and equipment to SoCal include Unified Fire Authority, Salt Lake City Fire, Weber Fire, Lone Peak Fire, Draper Fire, Orem Fire, West Jordan Fire, Sandy Fire, South Jordan Fire, Murray Fire, West Valley Fire, Provo Fire, Cedar City Fire, Utah County Fire, North Tooele Fire, Woodland Hills Fire, Moab Valley, North Fork, North Tooele, Park City, and Duchesne County.
“The events in California serve as a reminder that wildland fires aren’t limited to a specific season and can occur year-round when conditions are right. Utah is prepared to support California with additional resources and will provide help as needed,” according to a statement by DPS.
California also requested help with wildland firefighting resources.
“The DNR is currently mobilizing wildland firefighters and equipment, including a combination of state and local firefighters from communities across Utah, the DPS said.
“We appreciate the help from local agencies who have assisted with this request.”
While the deployments are expected last 14 days, they could be extended “dependent on expected fire behavior and weather conditions.”
