The massive wildfires burning across California have highlighted long-standing strains on the state’s mutual-aid system, which is designed to quickly rally support from nearby fire agencies to help protect homes and save lives.
From Tuesday through Saturday last week, requests for more than 900 fire engines from commanders around California went unfilled, according to state officials, leaving emergency responders in many communities with far less help than they had hoped for.
During that five-day period, the Carr Fire swept into the outskirts of Redding, destroying hundreds of homes; the Ferguson Fire continued its march toward Yosemite, prompting a rare closure of parts of the national park; and multiple blazes erupted in Mendocino and Lake counties, burning more than 90,000 acres so far.