KXO RADIO - Imperial County Strike Team being released

You are here : Home

Todays is : Friday, 09 January 2009

Latest News

Written by George Gale
Tuesday, 30 October 2007
(Imperial County firefighters are coming home)….The first Strike Team to be sent to the San Diego County wildfires is the last to come home. Imperial County sent two Teams, totaling 47 firefighters, to help combat the massive fires last week. The first 22 man, 5 engine, Strike Team was sent to San Diego just hours after the Witch Fire was reported on Sunday October 21. A second Team was sent to the Arrowhead Lake fire in San Bernardino County October 22. The second Team returned over the weekend. Tuesday morning El Centro Battalion Chief Richard Burns said the remaining firefighters would be back in El Centro by late afternoon. Burns said the Team had been taken off the fire line, and spent Tuesday morning going through demobilization. The Team had just relieved the original 22 man Team over the weekend. At last word the Witch Fire was 97% contained, with full containment anticipated for some time Wednesday. The fire has burned 197,000 acres. The fire that started in the Witch Creek area has destroyed 1,040 homes, 414 outbuildings and 239 vehicles. The fire has damaged seventy homes and 25 outbuildings. The Imperial County Strike Team was among 2,002 firefighters combating the blaze. Forty firefighters have been injured and two civilian fatalities reported. None of the Imperial County Team was injured, other than a minor eye injury to one of the original Team members. The Witch Fire will cost over $14 million. The other two major fires still burning in San Diego County, the Harris Fire and the Poomacha Fire are also expected to be fully contained some time Wednesday.