Local firefighters return home from California wildfires

Around 20 crew members from seven different agencies in Lane County left 12 days ago to help with the LNU Lightning Complex Fires in Napa, California

Spending 2 weeks in napa california fighting the lightning complex fires.

New tonight at 11--kezi nine news reporter connor mccarthy talked to the fire fighters to learn what is was like to be deployed to one of the biggest fires on the west coast.

After 12 days in california.... lane county firefighters returned home.

"we did a variety of different things.

Everyday we we were in a different place doing different things."

20 lane county firefighters helped fight this monster.... "just our fire line was 40 miles in our division.

A 375,000 acre fire tearing through california's wine country.

But they did more than just battle the blaze.

"we helped people with their animals.

We stopped and visited with those who lost their home.

That's a hard one."

Cal fire say over 16- hundred structures were swallowed by the fire and is at 76 percent containment.

"that area has had fire in it on a and off for years.

It was almost like it was created to burn in some areas."

Winds, heat and rugged terrain were a threat at one point or another.

"the fires down there move incredibly fast.

Basically the gentleman i was talking to told me they say the lightning hit and he said within 15 minutes they grabbed what they could and left.

It was that fast."

Task force leader barry nelson says... oregon is not use to those kinds of fires... but they can stil happen.

"i can tell you that defensible space works.

It's absolutely postivily the best way to protect your residence from a wild fire."

Reporting in goshen connor mccarthy kezi nine news.

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