The massive wildfires burning in Southern California are drawing firefighters from around the state, including one strike team from the Menlo Park Fire Protection District that left Sunday evening, Oct. 21.
Menlo Park’s four-person wildland firefighting team and an engine were originally headed for Malibu, but Southern California fire authorities redirected the team to Riverside on Monday, Fire Chief Harold Schapelhouman told the Almanac.
A call went out Monday for 150 more strike teams. The Menlo Park district could lend one more team to the effort, Chief Schapelhouman said.
The district can afford to lend up to 22 people from its 108-person staff, he said. “No one will see any impact” on local firefighting capabilities, he added.
