I want to help out with the California wildfires. How do I do it?

Question

I'm an experienced structural firefighter, but not with wildland fires. I'm trying to find a way to help out in California. What can I do. If I could become a smoke jumper, that would be awesome. However, I'm willing to do anything fire related. Who should I get in touch with?

Answer 1

You could try the National Guard http://www.calguard.ca.gov/Pages/default...

http://1-800-go-guard.com/,

Cal Fire, aka CDF (California Dept. of Forestry and Fire Protection)

http://www.fire.ca.gov/index_incidents.p...

or the Red Cross

http://www.redcross.org/.

Even though most of the fires are in wild land, they are creeping ever closer to homes and outbuildings. Some people are being evacuated for a second time, so a firefighter experienced with structural fires could come in pretty handy right now. You might even try the local firestations as several of them are working with skeleton crews right now - due to sending most of their crews out to the wildfires.

Redding http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Anderson http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Igo, Ono http://www.firedepartments.net/Californi...

Cottonwood http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Red Bluff http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Paradise http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Chico http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oG...

Answer 2

contact the stat eof calif.

Answer 3

Contact the National Guard.  They are assisting with the current situation in California.  If you want to be a smokejumper, that's gonna take a few years of training & then you'll need to pass a lot of tests in the field & in the classroom.  Smokejumpers are an elite bunch.  Most who try out for the team wash out & end up taking other types of helitack positions.  Good luck & thanks.  Here are some places to start your search;

National Guard

USFS (us forest service)

Wildland Firefighters

CDF (Cal Dept Forestry)

BLM (Bureau of Land Management)

Answer 4

Maybe you could contact the Red Cross. They have a web page devouted to helping with the S. California Wildfires.

http://www.redcross.org/news/ds/profiles...

Hope this helps!

Answer 5

Take a whizz on the fires over there.