Firefighters from around US, world are helping fight Los Angeles wildfires
Firefighters from Oregon to Texas have been deployed in response to California's Palisades and Eaton Fires. Offers of help continue to pour in from Ukraine, Canada and Mexico, as well.
Watch: Video from inside helicopter shows wildfire fight from above
The Los Angeles Fire Department Air Operations released a video on Friday showing helicopters flying above California's Santa Monica Mountains as the Palisades fire rages below.
LOS ANGELES – Resources, personnel and equipment are pouring into Southern California from more than half a dozen states and at least three other countries to help fight the deadly, wind-driven fires in the Los Angeles area.
Crews are still working to contain the Palisades Fire and the Eaton Fire, with nearly 100,000 people under evacuation. Powerful Santa Ana winds helped the Palisades Fire consume hundreds of acres within an hour. Less than a week after the first wildfire sparked, the two fires have destroyed nearly 40,000 acres.
Texas wildland firefighters ready to travel to California to help with the LA wildfires.
(Houston Fire Department)
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott sent the "calvary" to help California, ordering the Texas Division of Emergency Management to deploy firefighters and firefighting equipment to battle wildfires. More than 130 personnel, 45 engines and/or ambulances traveled west this week from Texas.
Houston firefighters are among the Texans deployed in California. Houston Mayor John Whitmire offered his support to California in a statement while recalling his childhood home burning to the ground.
"I still vividly remember pulling into the driveway and seeing nothing left but the chimney. It's a feeling that stays with you forever, which is why I know how important firefighters and the community are during these challenging times," Whitmire said. "To all — please know you're not alone. Houston stands with you, and we'll continue to do what we can to help."
According to the Arizona Department of Forestry and Fire Management, dozens of Arizona firefighters are battling the blazes in the Los Angeles area.
An Arizona fire crew on scene at the Eaton Fire near Pasadena, California on Jan. 8, 2025.
(Rich Jones/Arizona Forestry Battalion Chief assigned to Task Force 1 )
After initially sending 15 teams to California, Oregon State Fire Marshall Mariana Ruiz-Temple deployed an additional six strike teams to California over the weekend.
"We understand the gravity of the disaster taking place in California and are using the power of the Oregon Fire Mutual Aid System to give our neighbors additional tools to combat these wildfires and protect people and homes," Ruiz-Temple said. "Please rest assured our system is designed to ensure adequate coverage for our communities at home while at the same time providing support to those impacted by a disaster."
More than 300 Oregon firefighters are working the Los Angeles area fires.
Colorado firefighters have been supporting California's fire response since the outbreak began. The Colorado Division of Fire Prevention and Control (DFPC) sent a multi-mission aircraft to help gather "vital intelligence to aid firefighting efforts on the ground."
POWERFUL IMAGES SHOW LOS ANGELES HEROES ON FRONT LINES OF CALIFORNIA'S HISTORIC WILDFIRES
Nine strike teams from Colorado deployed to California this week, including 50 engines, according to the DFPC.
A 25-member team headed west from Nevada to California, including members of the Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Department.
Engines ready in Nevada to respond to the California wildfires.
(Las Vegas Fire and Rescue)
FOX 13 Seattle reports more than 220 firefighters from 11 local fire strike teams in Washington arrived in California on Friday night.
More than 14 local fire stations in Utah sent crews and resources to California as part of the Unified Fire Authority. The team worked 36 hours on the Palisades Fire before getting a day to rest and recover.
Utah firefighters responding to the Palisades Fire near Los Angeles, California on Jan. 11, 2024.
Other countries also sending help
The offers for help have extended from U.S. neighbors and as far as Ukraine.
Sixty Canadians from Alberta and British Columbia are being deployed this week amid California's renewed extreme fire weather and more resources are in the works.
"We’ve got your back, California," Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote on X.
California Gov. Gavin Newsome said firefighters arrived from Mexico this week joining the nearly 14,000 people battling wind-whipped wildfires fueled by dry grasses.
Over the weekend, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky offered his country's assistance to California as wildfires continue across the Los Angeles area.
In a video posted to social media, Zelensky said he instructed Ukraine’s Minister of Internal Affairs and diplomats to prepare for the possible deployment of 150 Ukrainian firefighters to California to assist with wildfires.
"The situation there is extremely difficult, and Ukrainians can help Americans save lives," Zelensky said.
The California National Guard said on X the offer was "nothing short of extraordinary" and "a testament to the power of global partnerships."