Lakeside Firefighters help with Fire in Anza Borrego State Park

In the early morning hours of Saturday, August 1st, 2010, firefighters from Lakeside's Blossom Valley fire station (fs26) responded as part of Heartland Strike team 6440C to the Scissors fire. The incident was near the 14-mile marker of County S2, threatening the Anza Borrego State Park. The fire had started the night before, and was burning on both sides of S2. Initial attack fire crews had worked through the night, and the Heartland Strike Team was assembled and dispatched to assist units still at the scene. Strike Team 6440C was assigned to Div. A, and was tasked with mop-up and patrol. Work consisted primarily of mopping-up the residual hotspots, and containing any flareups that would occur. County Copter 12 was requested to assist with any flareups that occurred. Due to the terrain, vegetation, and challenging access, work proved difficult and slow. Weather on the valley floor was 96 degrees, with a relative humidity of 7%. Unfortunately, Lakeside Brush 26 developed mechanical problems and would eventually need to be towed back to the Lakeside Fire repair facility.  


Strike team assignments such as this are very common for the agencies of Southern California.  With mutual aid agreements in place all throughout the state, agencies provide assistance to one another when it is needed. These mutual aid agreements make it possible for Lakeside Fire Department to substantially augment our response capabilities when we have a fire that calls for more resources.

Engineer Williams and Firefighter Fox work on mopping-up the fire

A view of the type of vegetation available to burn in the desert

Copter 12 arrives to help with flare-ups

Brush 26 has a mechanical issue

Brush 26 catching a ride home

Story and pictures provided by: Captain Jerry Daoust, Lakeside Fire District
Submitted by: Firefighter / Paramedic Bernie Molloy, Lakeside Fire District