BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) — It's been a long shift for these Kern County firefighters, but they're finally home after nearly two weeks of fighting one of the most devastating fires California has ever seen; the Palisades Fire. Captain Steven Salkeld recalled the chaos he and his team saw their first day on the scene. "The fire was still running through the neighborhood portion…it was a lot of devastation," said the fire captain. "A lot of homes on the ground, a lot of other buildings on the ground, whole city blocks were on the ground. It was just a lot of travesty." Firefighter Michael Macdonald, in just his sixth month on the job, was part of his first strike team in Los Angeles. The rookie was eager to prove his skills and show what he learned during training, just months ago. When he arrived, the excitement waned in exchange for grief for the people of Pacific Palisades. "Seeing all the destruction was pretty surprising, of how destructive it was," said Macdonald. "Just feeling for the people down there...how much they lost." Though they're home, their job isn't done quite yet. They've merely been reassigned. "The California Office of Emergency Services, they are looking at weather forecasts," said Engineer Jonathan Drucker. "Those forecasts show elevated fire weather in several counties surrounding Kern County. So, the state has taken an already assembled Kern County Fire Strike Team, and they've done what we call a preposition. They are staged, ready to respond should a fire break." Lawsuit filed over deadly BPD crash on S Union Ave The counties in that red flag warning include Los Angeles, Ventura, San Diego, Riverside, Orange, Santa Barbara, San Bernardino, Kern, Mono and Inyo counties. Red flag warnings began on Monday, Jan. 20, and will continue until at least Thursday, Jan. 23. This strike team that just arrived home will be on standby in case disaster strikes in one of those counties. For now, they're home with memories they may never forget. "On our first fire, we had a family at their house, and we were telling them to get out and go," said Macdonald. "It was just hard to see that family there, scared, you could see the fear in their eyes." It's more than just a job to them; it's their life. They'll keep fighting fires whenever and wherever they're asked. "At the end of the day, that's what we're here for. I'm proud to wear this badge," said Salkeld. "They gave themselves physically, mentally and emotionally, they went days without getting proper rest," said Drucker. "So we're very, very proud, but we're also relieved to have them home safely."