Seaside firefighter in Los Angeles: 'That's all gone'
PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) -- Seaside Fire & Rescue Operations Chief Dave Rankin said he's been in Los Angeles a few times. But he had a hard time believing his eyes as he arrived to help battle the ongoing destructive wildfires.
"It's hard to believe, like, when you're looking at what used to be buildings and, you know, Sunset Boulevard," Rankin told KOIN 6 News on Sunday. "That's all gone."
He is among about 370 Oregon firefighters sent through mutual aid programs to tackle the wind-swept wildfires that have taken the lives of at least 16 people and destroyed thousands of homes, schools and businesses. Rankin is serving as the task force leader for Task Force 11 in this deployment.
Despite what Rankin said was an "apocalyptic" landscape, the people of southern California are resilient and generous.
"The civilians that come up offering us food and snacks and everything, we're well taken care of," he said. The initial urge is to decline their generosity because the residents will need it more.
"But, you know, they're like, 'No, take this water, take this food. It's for you guys. Thank you for being up there,'" Rankin said. "So it's pretty cool to see that as well."
To date, Oregon has provided 21 strike teams, 75 fire engines, 30 water tenders and 370 firefighters to battle the still-spreading wildfires in California.