PHOENIX — Fires are raging in California and more than 30 crews from Arizona are helping to contain the wildfires.
“When one state is having a tough time. It is up to the other states to lend a hand any way they can,” said Cougan Carothers, a battalion chief with Central Fire and Medical out in Prescott Valley.
Carothers has fought two wildfires in California in recent weeks. He’s currently serving as a safety officer with the incident command center at the Red Salmon Complex fire in northern California.
“On the Red Salmon Complex, this is like bigger timber. It’s got a heavier brush element and heavy timber, but it also has a grass underscore. So, that’s one of the reasons it’s so volatile,” said Carothers.
Firefighters are working 16-hour days in some of the most rugged terrains.
“When these guys are going out on the line, they’re seeing the big steep country with a lot of fire,” said Carothers.
The wildfire season is long this year and there is no telling when the California season will come to an end, but the fire community is tight-knit and they’ll help where needed.
“If we have the resources and we can take care of our home unit first. We have the extra resources, we’ll lend a helping hand however we can,” said Carothers.
