Several Arizona fire crews are helping battle the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.
The Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management has sent four task forces, each consisting of 78 personnel from departments and districts throughout the state.
Battalion Chief Rich Jones is with Task Force 1, which is fighting the more than 10,500-acre Eaton Fire north of LA.
"We drove in here on the first day," Jones says. "The fire was running from structure to structure – downed powerlines, gas lines still burning. It’s a glimpse of destruction, total destruction."
Two more #Arizona task forces got wheels rolling this morning to #CA. Those resources are expected to stage on the Cleveland & San Bernardino NFs, but could get reassigned immediately due to fluidity of situation.
— AZ Dept. Forestry and Fire Management (@azstateforestry) January 9, 2025
This past weekend, two initial task forces were sent to CA & are… pic.twitter.com/cvw9rbxE3r
Jones says diminishing winds have allowed firefighters to slow the spread ahead of heavy gusts expected in the coming days.
Crews from the Central Arizona Fire and Medical Authority, the Navajo Nation, Peeples Valley near Yarnell, Snowflake and at least two dozen other northern Arizona agencies are among the nearly 900 firefighters assigned to the Eaton Fire burning outside Pasadena.
