Yuma crew helping fight ‘El Dorado’ fire
Firefighters from the Yuma Fire Department, who have been deployed to assist in the “El Dorado fire,” continue to work on protecting homes in the Yucaipa, Calif., area, which is about 10 miles east of San Bernardino.
The “El Dorado fire,” which was sparked at approximately 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, by a pyrotechnic device used during a gender reveal party, has burned more than 13,715 acres and is currently only about 31% contained.
Spokesperson Mike Erfert said that shortly after 7 p.m. that same day the Yuma Fire Department received a mutual aid request from California authorities regarding a Task Force deployment to assist in fighting the fire.
Within the next hour an Engine and four YFD personnel left Yuma to meet in Westmoreland, Calif., with other members of the Imperial Valley Task Force and proceed to Yucaipa area.
A task force consists of several firefighting apparatus with personnel and a team leader drawn from various departments. A team will normally stay together throughout their deployment.
Erfert added that due to the equipment and training of YFD personnel, they are usually assigned to structure protection duties in neighborhoods. Although deployed personnel are prepared to be gone for up to two weeks, they may not be needed that long.
Yuma’s firefighters have reported that they are doing well and working 24hour shifts.
According to Cal Fire, fire crews made great progress in containing the fire Thursday night due to favorable downslope winds that allowed them the opportunity to continue fire line construction and strengthen the perimeter in all areas around the fire.
There are currently 1,244 personnel and 17 work crews battling the fire, which has caused hundreds of evacuations, destroyed 10 structures and damaged six others.
More information about the fire can be obtained by going to the link https:// inciweb. nwcg. gov/ incident/7148/
The last time YFD personnel were deployed with a strike team or task force was in October of 2019 to the “Kincade Fire” in Sonoma County, Calif.