EVERETT — Snohomish County fire crews are making a trek to Los Angeles County to help efforts to contain raging wildfires.
A total of 40 firefighters in 10 engines left at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday. The team includes firefighters from South County Fire, Tulalip Bay Fire Department and Camano Island Fire and Rescue.
The crew expects to stop in Sacramento, California, on Thursday night and arrive in Los Angeles on Friday.
The deployment won’t strain fire resources in Snohomish County, said Peter Mongillo, a spokesperson for Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue. Only about five firefighters from each agency are en route to Los Angeles.
As of Thursday afternoon, at least 180,000 Los Angeles residents were under evacuation orders due to the fires, which began Tuesday during intense windstorms. More than 6,000 structures have burned and at least five people have died. The Palisades and Eaton Fires, both burning at more than 10,000 acres, are at 0% containment, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection.
At a press conference Wednesday, Los Angeles County Fire Department Chief Anthony Marrone said all 29 fire departments in the county have maxed out their crews. He thanked crews in Washington state, Nevada and Oregon that were on their way to provide help.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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