Nevada sending firefighters to help battle ‘one of the worst fires in recent history’

Five people have been killed and many others hurt in the fires, which have destroyed more than 1,000 structures, Los Angeles County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone said in a Wednesday morning news conference.

Marrone said that mutual aid calls for help went out to surrounding counties, the state of California and out-of-state fire departments to get 250 engine companies to assist with what appears to be a prolonged struggle with winds up to 100 mph whipping flames across several parts of Southern California.

By Wednesday evening, more than an estimated 1,500 buildings had been destroyed and 130,000 people had to evacuate their residences.

Gov. Joe Lombardo’s office on Wednesday said that between 110 to 125 firefighters and staff from Nevada were headed to California to help battle the blazes, including 50 engines and crews.

“Nevada firefighting assets will deploy to Southern California today to assist our neighbors in combating one of the worst fires in recent history,” Lombardo said. “I’m grateful for the bravery of our firefighters and for the swift response from our state and local partners. Please join me in praying for the safety of our first responders and for immediate relief for the families and communities displaced by these wildfires.”

At a 3 p.m. Wednesday news conference just before their departure, local fire officials said five engines and crews — three from Clark County and one each from Las Vegas and Henderson — were headed to the Riverside area to assist in any manner needed, and that the location could change.

On Thursday, a second strike team from Southern Nevada will begin deployment to Southern California, according to a Clark County news release issued Wednesday night.

“What we are seeing on TV, those fires driven by such winds are almost impossible to contain,” said Clark County Fire Department Chief John Steinbeck. “They will go and help do whatever is within their scope.”

Steinbeck said the assignment was expected to last 10 to 14 days, but could change as needs change.

“If we get requests for more, we’ll look to find more crews to send,” Steinbeck said.

Clark County’s Office of Emergency Management received a request Wednesday morning from California for engines and supporting personnel to help fight the fires.

“Our Fire Department is working on organizing a strike team to send to California that will be comprised of personnel from Las Vegas Valley fire departments,” county spokeswoman Stacey Welling said in an email. “We will provide details on their departure schedule and destination when this information becomes available. We expect the team to depart sometime this afternoon.”

Multiple massive wildfires tore across the Los Angeles area with devastating force Tuesday and Wednesday as residents made a desperate escape from burning homes through flames, ferocious winds and towering clouds of smoke.

Several blazes were burning in the metropolitan area, from the Pacific Coast inland to Pasadena, home of the famed Rose Parade. With thousands of firefighters already attacking the flames, the Los Angeles Fire Department put out a plea for off-duty firefighters to help, and weather conditions were too windy for firefighting aircraft to fly, further hampering the fight.

In a post on X, the National Weather Service said smoke from the wildfires should not impact Las Vegas because “these winds are blowing from north to south and Las Vegas is located north of the fires.”

Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com. The Associated Press contributed to this report.