Marin fire crews head to site of deadly SoCal blaze
About 15 Marin firefighters and five fire engines left Friday to help battle a Riverside County wind-fanned arson fire that has burned tens of thousands of acres and killed four firefighters.
Marin County fire Capt. Jason Weber said that while the fire is similar in nature to the San Diego blaze that killed Novato firefighter Steve Rucker on Oct. 29, 2003, authorities say firefighters were prepared to fight it.
Weber said the dry weather and strong winds cause fires to spread quickly and move erratically.
"Whenever you have these kinds of conditions, we're at a higher level of awareness," Weber said. "It's quite unpredictable."
He said departments spent good portions of the summer training firefighters, particularly the younger, less-experienced crew members
The strike team met near the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and headed to Southern California to lend a hand in the Esperanza Fire, a Marin County fire dispatcher said.
Engines carrying three to four firefighters each were supplied by Larkspur, Novato and Marinwood. Mill Valley sent one strike team leader.
The Marin County Fire Department sent four of its crew to serve as supervisors and public information officials.
Rucker, a 38-year-old father of two, died trying to save a home during the Cedar fire that killed 14 and did $400 million in damage.
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Saturday, February 4, 2012