Pennsylvania dispatches 40 firefighters to support California wildfire efforts

FILE - A firefighter battles the Palisades Fire as it burns a structure in the Pacific Palisades neighborhood of Los Angeles, Jan. 7, 2025. (AP Photo/Ethan Swope,File)

By Ashley Adams

January 24, 2025

Gov. Josh Shapiro sent two crews of Pennsylvania wildland firefighters to aid in the fight against the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

As President Donald Trump reiterated Friday that he wants to extract concessions from Democratic-led California in return for disaster assistance, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro announced that Pennsylvania is sending 40 skilled wildland firefighters to help combat the devastating wildfires in the Los Angeles area.

The two crews departed Friday and are expected to arrive in California on Monday. They will work and live together for the duration of their 14-day deployment.

In addition to the deployed crews, Pennsylvania already has a trained liaison on the ground in Los Angeles, facilitating coordination between the U.S. Forest Service and East Coast fire crews.

“Our firefighters stand ready to meet the challenge of protecting lives, homes, and natural resources,” said Cindy Adams Dunn, Pa. Department of Conservation and Natural Resources secretary, in a news release. “Pennsylvania’s wildland firefighters are among the best in the nation, rigorously trained to national standards and widely respected for their expertise in wildfire management. We are proud to contribute our skills and resources to support California’s communities during this critical time.”

Author

Ashley Adams

In her 16 years in the communications industry, Ashley Adams has worn many hats, including news reporter, public relations writer, marketing specialist, copy editor and technical writer. Ashley grew up in Berks County and has since returned to her roots to raise her three children.

View all posts

CATEGORIES: LOCAL NEWS

Support Our Cause

Thank you for taking the time to read our work. Before you go, we hope you'll consider supporting our values-driven journalism, which has always strived to make clear what's really at stake for Pennsylvanians and our future.

Since day one, our goal here at The Keystone has always been to empower people across the commonwealth with fact-based news and information. We believe that when people are armed with knowledge about what's happening in their local, state, and federal governments—including who is working on their behalf and who is actively trying to block efforts aimed at improving the daily lives of Pennsylvania families—they will be inspired to become civically engaged.