The blaze erupted viciously and suddenly on October 23, driving many to evacuate and sending others into panic as they prepared themselves for another fire. Although the odds were stacked against them, with little containment and fierce winds, fire departments from all over the West Coast banded together to battle the Kincade Fire and save Sonoma County from further destruction.
Fire departments from as far south as San Diego and as far north as Oregon, sent their men and women up to the valleys of Sonoma County to aid in the fight against the Kincade Fire and the shocking wind event fueling the disaster.
“We usually don’t see wind like this. It usually comes up gradually,” says Marin County firefighter Randy Engler, in an interview with the Lake County newspaper, “But this one was like turning on the switch. It started spotting and then it was all around us.”
With “record-breaking winds”, West Coast fire departments were preparing for the worst, eventually leading firefighters from all over the states of California and Oregon to assist.
“We can knock heat out of fire, we can put out a roof on a burning structure,” says Cal Fire operations chief, Brian Ferrell, in an interview with the Lake County Record-Bee, “but we have no tools that can counter the wind.”
Many local fire personnel who fought in the Sonoma County Tubbs Fire of 2017 were back fighting the Kincade fire, however this time, outside help was needed more than ever before.
For many firefighters, it was their first time fighting a fire of this magnitude, whereas, for others, it was their second time battling a Sonoma County fire. However, for Darren Burkhardt, an Oregon based firefighter belonging to the Grizzly Fire Department, the Kincade Fire mentally brought him back to the fires he fought during the Tubbs Fire two years ago.
“The devastation is absolutely unreal, it is powerful, it is almost hard to speak on,” says Burkhardt, “But it really has been an experience seeing the public come back into this town, and fairly get back to normal before another fire swept through.”
Along with out of state help, Sonoma County gained further support from many nearby cities and first responder departments who were willing to step in and help in any way possible. Evacuation centers were offered and staffed with several law enforcement and fire personnel to ensure the overall safety of those residing in the affected and evacuated areas of Sonoma County.
“San Francisco stands with our neighbors to the north and is ready to help in every way we can,” says San Francisco Mayor, London Breed, in a proclamation issued just days after the fire broke out. “Our city departments are working in unison to provide shelter and care to those who have been displaced, while first responders continue to fight the fire in Sonoma County.”
With first responders working endless forty-hour shifts at a time, their service did not go unrecognized. Despite the panic and worry of Sonoma County residents, evacuees provided equal amounts of support and appreciation for those working tirelessly to save their homes.
“As someone who has a cousin belonging to Santa Rosa Fire Department, it is clear that first responders risk their lives every day for us,” says a Santa Rosa native, Olivia Johnson, “These men and women put their own lives on hold and at risk for others. Some of them are fighting fires to protect those that they have absolutely no relationship to, yet they do it without thinking twice. Their jobs are perfect examples of pure selflessness.”
