Skip to main content
The San Francisco Standard
News

Photos: SF crews help fight one of the most devastating fires in state history

Firefighters in yellow gear spray water on smoldering rubble, surrounded by smoke and debris, amid a scene of destruction with trees in the background.
A few dozen San Francisco firefighters joined thousands of first responders this week to battle the blazes tearing through the L.A. area. | Source: Courtesy Cal Fire
By Jennifer Wadsworth and Max Harrison-Caldwell

San Francisco firefighters are on the front lines of one of the most destructive fires ever in California — a blaze that has killed about a dozen people, burned well over 12,000 buildings, prompted sweeping evacuations in and around Los Angeles, and remains barely contained.

The San Francisco Fire Department on Saturday counted 31 staffers dispatched to fight the blazes tearing through Southern California, according to Capt. Jonathan Baxter.

Another eight are deployed to search-and-rescue efforts.

In all, 39 SFFD firefighters were sent Tuesday — the second day of the fires — on a two-week deployment that puts them alongside several thousands of other first responders from all over California and beyond.

Firefighters who work beyond their jurisdiction enlist themselves for the service, Baxter told The Standard, and that requires annual, state-certified mutual-aid training.

Firefighters in yellow gear spray water on trees near a building. Smoke fills the air and a gray car is visible in the background.
The cause remains under investigation, but officials suspect at least some of the fires were intentionally set. | Source: Courtesy Cal Fire
A firefighter in a yellow jacket is spraying water on a smoky, charred ruin through an arched window, surrounded by debris and crumbling walls.
Low humidity and strong winds are fanning the flames, which have forced more than 150,000 people to evacuate. | Source: Courtesy Cal Fire
Four people in navy uniforms, labeled "California Task Force 3 Urban Search & Rescue," are in a warehouse with a black dog, surrounded by shelves and vehicles.
San Francisco Fire Department personnel — pictured with California Task Force 3, a FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Team out of Menlo Park — join thousands of other first responders in Southern California. | Source: Courtesy San Francisco Fire Department
A firefighter in a yellow helmet and jacket stands amidst smoke, using a tool on rubble.
The Palisades fire razed more than 5,300 structures. | Source: Courtesy Cal Fire

The fires rank as some of the most damaging ever in California.

The 2018 Camp fire torched upward of 18,000 buildings as it raced across 153,000 acres.

Today’s stories straight to your inbox

Everything you need to know to start your day.

The Tubbs fire in 2017 leveled 5,600 structures in Napa and Sonoma counties.

Related

Firefighters in yellow gear are battling a large blaze engulfing a building, surrounded by debris and charred trees, using hoses to spray water.
LA’s catastrophic fires could supercharge California’s insurance crisis
A house is engulfed in bright, intense flames amidst a fiery orange-red sky, with silhouetted trees in the foreground.
Photos of L.A. fires give a nightmare reminder of climate’s fury
A man's face is shown with a stylized digital flame crown above his head, set against a textured yellow background with faint, repeated text.
A Bay Area fire tracking app is saving lives in L.A. — and clapping back at Elon Musk

Twenty-six years before that, the Tunnel fire destroyed a few thousand homes in the Oakland Hills.

Jennifer Wadsworth can be reached at jennifer@sfstandard.com
Max Harrison-Caldwell can be reached at maxhc@sfstandard.com

Filed Under

FiresNewsSan Francisco Fire Department