PFD sends more firefighters to help with Ferguson Fire

Three more fire fighters from Porterville Fire Department headed out to the Ferguson Fire in Mariposa County Monday afternoon.

“The Ferguson Fire is a wildland fire just outside of Yosemite. We’ve had a crew out there for 14 days already,” said Lieutenant Chris Pisani at Porterville Fire Department. “We are going up to replace them and get fresh bodies to go and help.”

Pisani, Engineer Sabrina Barrios and Firefighter Reggie Calo all headed out Monday at 1 p.m. on a fire patrol, where they will be heading to Ahwahnee Camp inside Yosemite National Park.

“Right now we are making sure that we are ready to go and making sure we have good nutrition on board,” Pisani said. “They told us about a couple of things we need to bring, such as new batteries for our radios.”

Pisani said they will most likely be assigned to mop-up duties, putting out hotspots and helping out hotshot crews with burning operations.

The Ferguson Fire started July 13 at Highway 140 and Hite Cove near El Portal and has burned 56,659 acres. As of Monday, the fire is 30 percent contained with a total of two firefighter fatalities.

“We are going to provide extra man power,” said Pisani.

Yesterday Battalion Chief Rick Land left for the Carr Fire to continue his training for strike team leader. He now has one more fire to go for training to be able to take on his own strike team in the future.

The National Weather Service issued red flag warnings to alert fire departments of critical weather and dry conditions that could lead to rapid or dramatic increases in wildfire activity.

To keep up to date with the California Wild Fires, visit http://www. calfire.ca.gov/.