As Southern California continues to burn, people are displaced and losing everything, new fires igniting and entire communities in ruin, Tehama County first responders are doing their part to help.

An Operational Area Task Force consisting of personnel from the Tehama County Fire Department, Red Bluff Fire Department, and the Corning Volunteer Fire Department arrived at the Eaton Incident originally, but are now assigned to the Palisades Incident, according to CVFD Assistant Chief Jeff Nelson.

In addition, the task force consists of an engine and task force leader from Red Bluff Fire Department and an engine from the Corning Volunteer Fire Department. The Tehama County Fire Department engines and personnel are from Tehama County Fire stations 14-Dibble Creek, 9-El Camino, 12-Corning, 2-Lake California, and 3-Bowman.

Nelson said the firefighters from the CVFD are Daymon Schlereth, Ricky Lockhart and Raul Miron.

“The Task Force is on a 14 day commitment. At the end of that 14 days that crew will return home and another sent out if needed,” he added.

Nelson said the area where CVFD firefighters are currently serving are his old stomping grounds from his high school years.

“That exact area is where myself and my friends used to hang out during the summer months and where I once worked,” he added.

CalFire resources and personnel from the Tehama-Glenn Unit have also been sent to Southern California incidents and strategic prepositions over the past week.

The resources include one CalFire helicopter from the Vina Helitack Base, one fire engine from Paskenta Fire Station and multiple CalFire Units, two Fire Crew Strike Teams; one each from Ishi and Salt Creek Conservation Camps, and a Firefighter 1 Fire Crew and Battalion Chief/Strike Team Leader from Valley View Fire Center. That team has formed up with a Firefighter 1 Fire Crew from the Ponderosa Fire Center from CalFire AEU.

In addition to these resources, several overhead personnel have also responded as part of CalFire Incident Management Teams and to support the incidents.

Not only have firefighters, equipment and leadership responded to help in the dire circumstances of the Los Angeles area, All American Emergency Services in Corning, owned by James and Teresa Lamb, have responded to the emergency with tents, generators, equipment for laundry services, portable showers and other supplies have been trucked down to the site.

The company has sent 18 tents to house firefighters and to be used as organizational centers. They have responded with equipment to two different fires so far, the Eaton and Palisades.

In addition, more than a dozen of the company’s employees have traveled to Southern California to set-up, oversee and operate the equipment.

This isn’t the first fire-related emergency All American has responded to in California. The company has sent equipment to nearly every major wildfire the state, and other states, have suffered over the past decade.

L.A. Fires

Santa Ana winds continue to batter the weary and worn fight against the L.A. area fires, which started on Jan. 7. More than 24 people have reportedly died as a result of the ongoing wildfires.

At least 40,000 acres have been torched in the Greater L.A. area, destroying entire communities and more than 12,300 structures, according to reports.

The largest blaze, the Palisades Fire, has burned over 23,000 acres and was only 14 percent contained as it threatened Brentwood, Encino and Westwood as of Monday, Jan. 13.

However, firefighting efforts could be aided with cooler temperatures expected, a rise in humidity and a hopeful ease to the Santa Ana winds.

Evacuation orders are in effect for 92,000 L.A. residents, and 89,000 are in evacuation warning zones, which means they may need to leave at a moment’s notice.

Several arson arrests have been made in relation to the fires, as well as arrests for other crimes, such as looting.