ELK GROVE, CA - Four Cosumnes Fire Department firefighters returned home safely last week after spending more than two weeks in Southern California fighting the Los Angeles-area wildfires.

 Captain Andy Shepard, Patrick Lynch, Dustin Romero and Masato Seki were part of a 22-man strike team organized through the California Office of Emergency Services to help respond to multiple blazes in Southern California that led to more than 200,000 people receiving evacuation orders and more than 16,000 homes and other structures damaged or destroyed.

Strike Team 4801-A was deployed on Jan. 7 specifically to the Palisades Fire and was made up of five engines and one pickup truck commanded by a supervisor and a supervisor trainee. The other four engines were made up of two four-person teams from Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and two four-person teams from Sacramento Fire Department.

The team returned on Jan. 22.

 “We are happy to share that our personnel have returned home safely after countless hours on the frontlines, assisting with the Palisades and Eaton Fires in Southern California,” Cosumnes Fire Department wrote in a social media post. “Thank you to all the members of Strike Team 4801 and Task Force 7 who helped protect lives and property during these challenging fires.”

 “The bond shared across departments, cities, and regions is a reminder of the strength of our firefighting family—where no one stands alone,” the post continued. “Welcome home.”

 Shepard, who is a 24-year veteran, all with CFD, said the fire was bigger than any incident that he has been a part of as a member of a strike team in the past. Since 2002 he said he’s responded to the North Complex, Lightning Complex, Mendocino Complex and, most recently, the Bear Fire in September 2024. 

 “This is what people call a career fire,” Shepard said. “Just the amount of buildings that were destroyed and burned. All the complex problems with resources. It was definitely unique.”

 Fueled by powerful winds and dry conditions, a series of wildfires erupted on Jan. 7, ripping through the Los Angeles area. The fires started in Pacific Palisades, a neighborhood east of Malibu, as a brush fire, before growing to almost 23,500 acres, according to CAL FIRE.

 Shortly after, the Eaton Fire and the Hughes Fire erupted near a canyon in the national forest lands north of downtown Los Angeles and near Castaic Lake. Combined, the two fires burned over 24,400 acres. Other smaller fires also erupted in Los Angeles and have been completely contained.

 According to Los Angeles County fire officials, 29 people died in the fires, 17 in the Eaton Fire and 12 in the Palisades Fire, in addition to an untold number of significant injuries.

The cause of the blazes is still under investigation. According to estimates from JPMorgan, the economic losses tied to the fires could reach $50 billion.

 “The deployment showcases the strength and resilience of the California master Mutual Aid Agreement and highlights the importance of emergency resources sharing statewide,” Sacramento Metro Fire wrote in a news release.

Shepard said the strike team made it to the scene around 8 a.m. on Jan. 8 but couldn’t progress to their command post due to debris and downed power lines in the road. As soon as they arrived at the fire zone they got to work. Due to the chaotic nature of the fire, Shepard said, the crew got to work putting out whatever fires they could.

“Just pick what you can save with what you have,” Shepard said.

Shepard said the team was able to save a few large home properties and apartment buildings, as well as the Palisades Charter High School.

Shepard said the team went about 56 hours with few moments of rest because there were no crews to relieve them. In a more common response, the standard would be 24 hours on duty and 24 hours off with CAL FIRE; with federal fires, the standard is 12 hours on and 12 hours off.

“No one wanted to be leaving the line,” Shepard said. “It is just kind of hard to leave that behind.”

Shepard said the team was able to meet some of the tenants and residents of Pacific Palisades, who were more than welcoming and thankful for the firefighters’ help. He added the local community banded together to make sure the firefighters were well taken care of in terms of food and drinks.

He said the experience built a bond among the strike team and the other firefighters that were called to fight the blaze.

Strike Team 4801-A was joined by Northern California strike teams from Placer County, El Dorado County, Nevada County, Tuolumne County, Stanislaus County, Yolo County and others.

“These things just kind of build that,” Shepard said. “We don’t always get this kind of work, but when you do, it builds that camaraderie.”