APS crew to help in Calif.

In the wake of the devastating Camp Fire, an APS crew travels to Paradise, California, to help Pacific Gas & Electric Co. rebuild its electrical grid.

The northern California town of Paradise is still reeling from the Camp Fire.

The massive blaze killed at least 84 people. Officials estimate hundreds more are still unaccounted for and thousands remain stranded in parking lots and emergency shelters after their homes and businesses were destroyed in the wildfire.

Slowly, Paradise is starting to rebuild in the wake of the deadly wildfire’s unprecedented destruction.

But it won’t be alone.

A crew of 21 Arizona Public Service Co. utility workers departed Saturday for Paradise. They’ll spend the next few weeks helping the local utility company — Pacific Gas & Electric Co. — rebuild its electrical grid.

APS officials said at least 20,000 customers were without power, although about half of those structures could have burned in the fire.

“Our goal is to get some lights back on in gas stations, grocery stores, hospitals and schools,” APS fire mitigation specialist Wade Williams said. “That way, when they do bring people back in they’ll have some infrastructure there.”

Electric companies throughout the country are part of a mutual assistance agreement to help restore power to devastated areas after a natural disaster. APS and Salt River Project crews previously responded to 2017’s Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico and Superstorm Sandy in New York in 2012.

APS workers from throughout the state volunteered to help. They’re paid by their own utility company, which will later be reimbursed by PG&E. This will be the first time incident commander Kyle Woolfolk has assisted with restoration efforts.

“There’s a real need up there for help,” Woolfolk said, shortly before he was scheduled to leave for California in a caravan of 20 trailers and support equipment. “Us, as the utility, we want to do what we can to help them out there.”

Crews could face rain and the possibility of mudslides while working in the burn scar. Just traveling to the burned area requires coordination and preparation as resources like gas aren’t readily available.

APS is expected to send another 20 utility workers on Dec. 1. They’ll be focused on rebuilding and repairing large transmissions lines in the areas. Both teams were expected to be home for the Christmas holiday.