Bakersfield Fire sends crews to assist with NorCal fires amid a busy year

23ABC News

Latest Kern County, California and US &amp; world news from 23ABC in Bakersfield, Calif.

Transcript

00:00 It's been a busy year for emergency crews,

00:02 including our local firefighters.

00:04 Bakersfield Fire Captain Cody Adams

00:06 recently returning from one deployment

00:07 and is now en route up north to assist

00:10 with a happy camp complex wildfire.

00:13 We just got sent out to an OES

00:15 deployment through the state.

00:17 Happy Camp Complex Fire Fire Captain

00:19 Cody Adams is heading up to assist

00:22 with the wildfires burning over 11,000

00:24 acres in Northern California and he's

00:26 just one of many from Bakersfield.

00:29 Taking the call so they came back at 8

00:31 o'clock and we have guys that are

00:33 taking off at 6 o'clock this morning

00:35 for for the wildland fires that are

00:37 up north. BFD said while this year

00:39 has been busy for them due to storms,

00:41 flooding and rescues in the Kern River,

00:43 it's been an unusually slow wildfire season.

00:45 We're super busy, you know,

00:47 at home in the Kern River with rescues

00:49 and sending our swift water team out

00:51 for the floods up and down the state.

00:53 Now we're kind of seeing that

00:55 transition with the heat.

00:56 Tim Ortiz with Bakersfield Fire said

00:58 he sent some crews to assist up north.

01:00 Heavy winds spurred the fire,

01:01 prompting another call for help.

01:03 Adam saying while it's been

01:04 a laboring year already,

01:05 this is why they're always prepared.

01:07 Yeah, just kind of knowing it's coming

01:09 one and got like keeping my family in

01:11 the loop. I have a wife and two kids

01:13 at home and let him know you know this

01:15 is as a time of year when we get

01:17 super busy and I can be out of town.

01:20 You know 1421 days and just prepping

01:22 them as wildfire season progresses.

01:23 Ortiz says it's important for their

01:25 crews to rely on each other,

01:27 not just the recruits.

01:28 The lead on those those members

01:29 that are deploying with that have

01:31 more seniority that have been out

01:32 there numerous times and not only

01:34 just being on top of our training

01:36 in the stations do so when these

01:37 fires do come out, you know,

01:39 we're ahead of the curve and

01:40 we're we're ready to respond.

01:42 And Bakersfield Fire saying,

01:43 while it's been a slow start

01:44 to their wildfire season,

01:46 they are anticipating things to pick up,

01:48 especially with the Santa Ana winds

01:49 expected in the coming months in Bakersfield.

01:51 I'm Veronica Morley.

01:52 23 ABC News connecting you.

01:54 ABC News connecting you.

Category

Transcript

Recommended