On Sept. 1, the Hollister Fire Department welcomed home California Office of Emergency Services Engine 329 and B9204/Command Staff led by Capt. Andrew Henderson after being deployed on a strike team for 15 days. The team responded to several incidents, including the River and Carmel fires in Monterey County, and the CZU and SCU Lightning Complex fires.
HFD Chief Bob Martin del Campo said the department is contracted with both San Benito County and the state through the Master Mutual Aid Program to aid in firefighting efforts when needed. The state fire engine is staffed with a captain, an engineer and two firefighters. The Hollister team joined a strike team of five engines and a Hollister battalion chief.
The first stop was the River Fire in Salinas, followed by the nearby Carmel Fire. Martin Del Campo said during that time lightning caused the CZU and SCU fires to start.
“Two of our command staff, myself included,” he said, “had to go up to the Santa Clara fire to the base camp in Pleasanton to provide information on our area.” They provided details of the topography of San Benito County, how it could affect their agency and the likelihood that evacuations, warnings and orders would be needed.
The fire chief was concerned the SCU Lightning Complex could reach our county and said that the prolonged droughts had brought the region into a “mega fire era.” He added that what is usually mineral soil is not decomposed vegetation, making the risk of fire greater.
Capt. Henderson told BenitoLink his team was on the River Fire for about 10 hours when the Carmel Fire broke out, so they were sent there for the initial attack on structure protection. Henderson’s team worked for about 56 hours before getting its first break. From there it went to Santa Cruz to assist with the CZU Lightning Complex fire. He said the community reception to all firefighters was welcoming.
“The community is always awesome.”
Henderson cautioned that a contained fire does not mean everything will be well. Contained fires are contained only on the ground; winds and tall burning trees can cause a fire to jump containment. He also warned that as winter storms come through, trees made unstable by the fires could fall and cause landslides.
Henderson and Martin Del Campo both cautioned that the fire season has only begun. As the Santa Ana Winds come in, more fires could start. In this region, those winds are known as the Diablo Winds as they come across the Diablo Range, but they are not as frequent as the Santa Anas.
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