Firefighter part of Texas Strike Force in LA area on three-week deployment
Boerne firefighter Santiago Anaya shipped out Saturday and is now on the frontline in California, helping to battle the Palisades fire that has leveled so many homes and claimed eight lives.
The Palisades fire — one of several burning in the Los Angeles area — has consumed 23,000 acres and is 14% contained as of Monday evening. The LA-area Palisades and Hurst fires have claimed 25 lives, with dozens of residents remaining unaccounted for.
Anaya, 30, a member of the Boerne Fire Department since 2021 on its “A” shift, is part of the Texas Strike Force team composed of firefighters from Boerne, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels, Pharr, Schertz and two Bexar County District fire departments.
The group left Texas on Saturday aboard several department vehicles. Arriving Sunday, they were assigned to the Palisades fire, on the north face of the fire and began their shifts Monday, according to Chris Shadrock, Boerne communications director.
Anaya and his fellow Texas Strike Force members are working 24-hour on, 24-hour off shifts with an expected 21-day deployment.
The team was deployed as part of the Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System (TIFMAS) in response to a request from CAL FIRE through the California Office of Emergency Services.
This effort is part of a broader initiative by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to send firefighters, emergency management and medical personnel, fire engines and equipment to assist with wildfire response efforts in California.
The Boerne Fire Department has a longstanding commitment to mutual aid and actively participates in the TIFMAS program. Over the past year, the department has sent crews to assist with wildfire responses in West Texas and the Texas Panhandle.
In February and March last year, three members of the department deployed to the Texas Panhandle region, to help battle the Smokehouse Creek Fire, the largest in Texas history.
In late July, Lt. Toby Vicknair, who leads the Boerne Wildland Fire Team, was called up to help officials in California as they work to gain control of the Park Fire. Anaya and fireman Mark Cross were assigned to West Texas last year, to assist with wildfire activity.
Authorities have not said whether additional firefighters may be deployed if the wildfires continue.
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