As several thousand firefighters rushed to save structures during the Hughes Fire, which broke out Wednesday morning in Castaic and burned over 10,000 acres in less than 24 hours, the unified command post at College of the Canyons became a hub of activity and information.  Firefighters and first responders from throughout Southern California received meals, checked on their equipment and rested at the parking lot of the University Center at COC.   Chris Cordova, manager at Scofield Catering & Management, discussed the process of catering for firefighters, not only during a typical fire season, but also during the emergencies that have taken place throughout Los Angeles County in January.  “We’re based out of Ventura, and we are a Type 1 fire crew. Typically, we go out during [fire season], which runs from May to November, but because of the state of emergency we have been in, we actually came to feed the firefighters at the Eaton Fire, and as soon as we got demobilized from the Eaton Fire, they sent us right over here,” Cordova said.  Chris Cordova, manager at Scofield Catering & Management, prepares meals for first responders at the unified command post on Thursday, Jan. 23 at the University Center parking lot. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal According to Cordova, 1,500 first responders, firefighters and even members of the National Guard would receive breakfast, dinner and sack lunches throughout Thursday, in addition to as many days as needed for them to mop up the fire.  “I’ve been cooking for 27 years, most of which is fine dining, and then around COVID, when all the restaurants shut down, I started doing this. I get a lot more fulfillment when it comes to helping [first responders],” Cordova said. “Rather than patrons who come into the restaurant, for this, I actually get to provide something for everybody that is nourishing and needed.”  Scofield Catering & Management prepares meals for first responders at the unified command post on Thursday, Jan. 23 at the University Center parking lot. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Cordova, who has been a part of the company for a second season, was inspired to give back during COVID, wanting to give his skills to the people who needed it most.   “The world was still on fire, and people still needed to be fed. I decided to call up somebody that I knew worked for a wildland fire service, and they said they needed my help. I’ve been doing it ever since,” Cordova said. “We have a wonderful group of [employees here], and I couldn’t imagine doing this job without them. It’s a great group of adults.”  Capt. Sheila Kelliher Berkoh, public information officer for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, discussed the progress that was made in the fire’s first 24 hours.   Los Angeles County Fire Department’s Public Information Officer Capt. Sheila Kelliher Berkoh at the unified command post at the University Center on Wednesday, Jan. 23. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal “The Hughes Fire was a big firefight overnight, and they did an incredible job getting their arms around this fire with the combination of air support, along with the dozer team and the ground crews. They worked in really hard conditions with the topography, along with the weather, and did an amazing job getting the flames to be knocked down,” Berkoh said.  As of late Thursday morning, while most evacuation orders were being lifted or downgraded, containment was at 24%, according to Berkoh, crediting air resources as an advantage in containing the brush fire.   “The wind did not ground [the air resources], and that made all the difference in the world. All day yesterday, we had fixed wings flying, laying retardants and tons of water drops, and helicopters, as well. Throughout the night, helicopters flew, along with the helitankers,” Berkoh said. “The way it’s looking right now, that smoke is laid down, the fire is laid down. We’re very encouraged that we’re on the right path to grow that containment.”  Firefighters from throughout Southern California were present at the unified command post at the University Center parking lot at College of the Canyons on Thursday, Jan. 23. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal To support the firefighters who were on the scene, Berkoh recommends that the best way for residents to help support first responders is to simply listen to instructions.  As for the cause of the fire, that information is still unknown, according to Berkoh.   “Listen, stay safe, stay up to date on local announcements and conditions that are out there, so they’re ready to go if they need to go. We have all the resources that we need. And we’ve got people from all over and we’ve been shuffling between the big fires,” Berkoh said. “That really made a difference on this fire, because we were able to attack it quickly with a lot of resources, and we had a robust response, which made all the difference.”  Tents and tables were set up for first responders to enjoy meals catered by Scofield Catering & Management at the unified command post at the University Center parking lot at College of the Canyons on Thursday, Jan. 23. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Firefighters from throughout Southern California were present at the unified command post at the University Center parking lot at College of the Canyons on Thursday, Jan. 23. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal Firefighters from throughout Southern California were present at the unified command post at the University Center parking lot at College of the Canyons on Thursday, Jan. 23. Habeba Mostafa/ The Signal The post Unified command post at COC: A hub for first responders  appeared first on Santa Clarita Valley Signal.