VIDEO: Fires are raging in California and more than 30 crews from Arizona are helping to contain the wildfires.
“When one state is having a tough time. It is up to the other states to lend a hand any way they can,” said Cougan Carothers, a battalion chief with Central Fire and Medical out in Prescott Valley. Carothers has fought two wildfires in California in recent weeks. He’s currently serving as a safety officer with the incident command center at the Red Salmon Complex fire in northern California.
“On the Red Salmon Complex, this is like bigger timber. It’s got a heavier brush element and heavy timber, but it also has a grass underscore. So, that’s one of the reasons it’s so volatile,” said Carothers.
Firefighters are working 16-hour days in some of the most rugged terrains.
“When these guys are going out on the line, they’re seeing the big steep country with a lot of fire,” said Carothers.