Battling blazes takes toll on firefighters
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A firefighter drives away from a fire on State Highway 18 near Running Springs, California, on Wednesday.
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From the Wolf Blitzer Reports staff in Washington:
WASHINGTON (CNN) -- So many fires, huge in size, are raging in Southern California. Some of the biggest are not even half-contained.
On the front lines, the work is dangerous, exhausting and, at the moment, seemingly without end.
"Right now it's bordering on chaos. We're just trying to stay ahead of it," says one firefighter.
Twelve thousand firefighters are now battling these infernos. They're from local communities, so-called "wild-land" firefighters from the federal government and military bases. These men and women are working shifts of 8, 12, sometimes even 24 hours. Fatigue is their constant partner.
Terry Dejournett of the Los Angeles County Fire Department says, "They're doing pretty good. They're getting a little rest, and they are getting tired, but they're here for the end run."
When they come off the line, getting "rest" is relative. They go to the nearest base camp for what firefighters call "rehabilitation." They eat, replenish body fluids, do maintenance on their equipment, get a briefing from their incident commander and if there's time, nap.
Some don't come off the line at all.
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"They're good at sleeping whenever and wherever they can," a firefighter says of his colleagues. "Mental awareness is an important part of that." It's called "coyote" status: digging in right where you are and sleeping on the spot. A case in point is the home of Stephenson Ranch homeowner Jennifer Belmont. She says, "I've got firefighters sleeping in our garage and they have been awesome."
No serious injuries have occurred so far, in the week since the fires began. But some firefighters have been treated for exhaustion and there are other health concerns. "It's not just the forest and wood burning, but a lot of houses have been on fire and there are a lot of carcinogens in the smoke," explains Harold Schaitberger, President of the International Association of Firefighters. "I'm very concerned about the long-term health of these firefighters on the line."
This concern is seemingly ignored on the line. One fire official told us, "I've seen guys on these runs for 4 to 5 weeks."
Says another firefighter, "We made a difference out there. We did save homes."
Us mortals can only admire their stamina and selflessness.
