The Department of Defense announced that it would “provide additional firefighting personnel and capabilities to California as that state’s Los Angeles County region continues to be ravaged by a series of out-of-control wildfires.”
The move came at the direction of President Joe Biden, Deputy Pentagon Press Secretary Sabrina Singh told reporters. Singh noted the “federal government is working closely with the National Guard, which is deployed under [California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s] state of emergency declaration.”
According to Singh, the DOD is sending 10 Navy helicopters with water delivery buckets and will send four additional Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System (MAFFS) units, if needed, to assist those provided by the California and Nevada National Guards.
“We can surge assets, and the president has directed this department to bolster whatever California needs; but we have to work with California, and right now we can’t even get assets up in the air because the fires are so bad and the winds are so bad,” Singh added.
The Palisades Fire has burned more than 17,000 acres and has destroyed 1,000 structures, according to NBC News. Authorities say it is the most destructive fire in Los Angeles history.
“Safe to say that the Palisades fire is one of the most destructive fires in the history of Los Angeles,” L.A. Fire Department Chief Kristin M. Crowley said.
Another fire erupted in Hollywood Hills on Wednesday evening. The flames, called the Sunset Fire, have grown to 60 acres, the report added. As of Thursday morning, evacuation orders for the Sunset Fire were lifted.
The fires have left at least five people dead and forced an estimated 130,000 people to evacuate.
