Canadian fire crew preps in Bakersfield before heading to Eaton Fire
Jan 16, 2025
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) -- As the death toll climbs from the devastating fires burning Los Angeles into a pile of ash, more heroes are being deployed into the firestorm. This time, they're from Canada.
"You can't teach how to have a good heart and a good attitude...you can teach everything else," said Rob Bardossy, with the British Columbia Wildfire Service. "How to run a saw, how to dig guard. All that stuff is trainable and teachable. Biggest thing is attitude and heart."
22 firefighters from British Columbia came to the Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Office Jan. 16 for mandatory training, like how to setup an emergency fire shelter in 60 seconds or less.
"Fire is a very fluid situation. Conditions change and the fire changes quickly," said Bardossy. "So, you need to be able to adapt and get ready quickly."
The average fire can reach temperatures of 1,400 degrees, but a wildfire can exceed 2,000 degrees.
"People get into those shelters and they can survive a burnover," said Gabe Garcia, BLM District Manager of Central California. "They can't survive everything."
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The firefighters from British Columbia are on a two week assignment to help contain the Eaton Fire. More than 40 crew members from Alberta were deployed Wednesday.
"It doesn't matter what patch you have on your uniform, we're always willing to help one another when our neighbors are in need," said Garcia.
The team is thanks to a U.S. agreement with four countries: Mexico, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
Canadian firefighters come well trained after the country saw a historic run of devastating fires in 2023.
"One of the worst fire seasons on record ever in North America. So, for a lot of these folks, this is a chance to give something back," said Derrek Hartman, with the National Interagency Coordination Center.
Hartman says fire crews are working up to 110 fire line days a year versus 30 days in the past.
California has gone from a fire season to a fire year.
"California's always had year-round fires but, I hate to say it; the rest of the country is trending that way as well," said Hartman.