Alan Devall
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) – A contingent of 72 Mexican firefighters received a briefing from U.S. fire officials on Monday along with their American counterparts before heading out to help fight wildfires raging through southern California.
The group is made up of military experts, including doctors, engineers and search and rescue personnel, as well as a group of firefighters from Mexico’s equivalent of the US Forest Service.
The massive wildfires that have been raging through the Los Angeles area since Tuesday have killed at least two dozen people and burned an area the size of Washington, DC. More than 90,000 residents were forced to leave their homes, and entire neighborhoods were destroyed. burned.
The Mexican team will join firefighters from seven states and Canada to try to bring the inferno under control.
“They are now assigned to firefighting where they will be involved in firefighting, actually working as a support crew,” said Edwin Zuniga, public information officer for Cal Fire. “So, building a containment line, a reinforcement containment line, engaging in direct fire if necessary.”
The duration of the Mexican firefighters’ deployment is uncertain, according to Zuniga. It could take a week or three weeks.
“We have a special team so we’re here to help, to bring help to people, to do the best we can,” said firefighter Ivan Lorenzo Garcia of the Mexican Army’s emergency response battalion.
Laura Velazquez Alzua, national coordinator of civil protection for Mexico, spoke about the importance of international cooperation.
“We have instructions from the president of Mexico, Dr. Claudio Sheinbaum, to come help and contribute the experience and knowledge of 72 firefighting specialists,” she said.
Velazquez Alzua called it a “very important” moment for firefighters.
“We are sure that Mexico is a nation of support, a nation that strengthens its fraternity with the people of the United States,” she said.
