Southern California’s cataclysmic fires were only 36 hours old, but by Thursday afternoon, firefighters from Sunnyvale and Santa Clara were on the ground in Southern California.
They are part of a Santa Clara County strike team joining the fight against five wildfires that have, in two days, burned a path of devastation and tragedy across 30,000 acres of Los Angeles County with no end in sight.
These dedicated firefighters have their work cut out for them — as I write this another fire has broken out northwest of Los Angeles, and the Palisades fire roars on unchecked, with more high winds forecast.
Santa Clara Fire Engine 97 left town at 8 p.m. Wednesday. The team arrived to check in at Will Rogers State Beach at 4 a.m. and went straight to work protecting homes between Sunset Boulevard and San Vicente Boulevard, according to postings by the department.
The team has saved many homes in the Riviera Country Club neighborhood, according to SCFD’s posts, which describe the conditions as “extreme fire behavior, exacerbated by wind gusts up to 80 mph.”
Wednesday afternoon, four Sunnyvale public safety officers* started from Sunnyvale and headed south to Pasadena.
“Our crew made it safely to Pasadena to their Rose Bowl check-in point,” said Sunnyvale Department of Public Safety PIO Dzanh Le on Thursday.
“Giving and receiving mutual aid is part of the DNA of public service, so we didn’t hesitate to deploy a Sunnyvale crew of firefighters to Southern California,” said Sunnyvale City Manager Tim Kirby. “We share everyone’s concern and heartbreak over the devastation caused by these fires and are grateful that we can support our colleagues and help these communities.”
How to Help Southern California Fire Victims
More than 150,000 people have had to leave their homes with little to nothing, and thousands are in shelters, wondering what comes next in their lives. You can help by donating to one of the many organizations that are helping. Here are some:
- American Red Cross: org, call 1-800-RED CROSS (800-733-2767) or text REDCROSS to 90999
- Catholic Charities Los Angeles Wildfire Relief initiative: https://www.catholiccharitiesusa.org/
- Jewish Federation Los Angeles Wildfire Crisis Relief: www.jewishla.org/wildfire-crisis-relief/
Islamic Relief: https://irusa.org/islamic-relief-usa-collaborate-american-red-cross-disaster-response-wildfires-california/
Direct Relief medical aid: directrelief.org
World Central Kitchen: wck.org
Project Camp: https://projectcamp.co/2025-1-lafires
Global Empowerment Mission: https://www.globalempowermentmission.org/mission/la-county-wildfires/
Greater Los Angeles Food Bank: lafoodbank.org/fire/
Pasadena Humane Society: pasadenahumane.org/eaton-canyon-fire-update/
* Sunnyvale public safety officers are cross-trained as both police officers and firefighters.
