Fort Worth firefighters continue helping battle California wildfires

FORT WORTH, Texas - North Texas firefighters continue to help battle the wildfires in northern California.

Eight firefighters from the Fort Worth Fire Department are currently helping with the massive effort to contain the fires.

Fort Worth Fire Capt. Cody Stillwell has helped out in California for wildfires in the past, but he says this is the largest fire he’s ever seen.

“The whole fire itself was 836,000 acres, biggest fire in California’s history,” he said.

It’s been more than a week since Stillwell and his team of seven other Fort Worth firefighters left North Texas for California.

The team also traveled with Arlington, Flower Mound and Wichita Falls firefighters that are among several North Texas departments helping. 

“It’s not just Cal Fire we’re out here with. There are firefighters from all over the world, especially all over the country, Canada, all kinds of cooperators. Locals have been out here since day one,” Stillwell said.

Fort Worth firefighters are currently based out of Garberville, California, working 24-hour shifts and responsible for covering areas up to 70 miles long at any given time.

Stillwell says the mountainous terrain has been a challenge.

“We can’t drive trucks everywhere because it’s in the mountains,” he said. “Sa lot of hiking to be done, carrying the hose, laying that out. It’s just miles and miles of hose laying. A lot of stuff and we’re progressing very well as far as getting this thing wrapped up.”

And being away from home hasn’t been easy.

“There’s a lot of good in this. The support from the community out here is incredible,” Stilwell said. “There’s signs out here just thanking all the firefighters. Support in general is amazing.”

But despite the long days and seemingly endless work, Stillwell says they’re determined as ever to keep going and hope to take the experience they learn in California back home with them.

“One of the main objectives is to get the people who have been evacuated back in their homes,” Stillwell said. “And to get that done to make that happen, we’ve got to get our job done. And so that gives us a lot of motivation to get out there and get working and get this fire wrapped up.”

The Fort Worth Fire Department doesn’t have a set date when they plan to come back home. They hope to get more instructions in the coming days on where they’re headed to next.