New Jersey Forest Fire Service ready to respond to California wildfires if needed
Resources from the Delaware Valley are ready to respond — if needed — in California as firefighters continue to battle those wildfires. That includes the New Jersey Forest Fire Service.
Trevor Raynor has been with NJFFS for more than a decade. He's fought countless fires at home, and also dozens out of state, including in California.
"It's scary because we know what it's like out there fighting those fires," Raynor said.
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Just this past October, David Achey, who is also with NJFFS, was out in Los Angeles County assisting federal partners.
"We were working for the U.S. Forest Service kind of a pre-position type order so we were there to assist in any type of fire suppression," Achey told reporters earlier this week.
At this time, the NJFFS has not been requested to California, but they say they are ready whenever and wherever they may be needed.
"I would say if they needed help, we could probably mobilize at least 20 people within a 24-hour time frame," Achey said.
The closest New Jersey's seen to what's going on in California, Raynor said, happened back in April 1963 when more than 400 structures burned and seven people died.
"The fuels in California rival those in New Jersey. Our fuels are just as volatile here, in state, so the situation could be just as dangerous here," Raynor said.
With snow on the ground, the fire risk here is low in New Jersey right now, but things could change.
"It could take a few days and we're right back to where we were a couple of months ago," Raynor said.
