Cathedral City firefighters battling Woolsey Fire return home
As of Monday evening, the 96,949 acre Woolsey Fire is 96 percent contained with the number of deaths rising to three. The fire destroyed 1,500 structures across Los Angels and Ventura counties. Full containment is projected by Thursday.
Local fire crews from Palm Springs and Cathedral City were dispatched to the area to assist last Thursday and Friday.
Battling this fire is an experience Catherdral City firefighters Mark Caouett and Captain Chad Smith tell KESQ & CBS Local 2 was unlike anything they had ever experienced in their time fighting fires in that area.
“The loss that the community was dealing with.. that’s what was different about this fire,” Caouett, a firefighter paramedic, said.
“It was a lot of devastation and the officer-involved shooting prior too,” Smith said.
Smith is referring to the tragic mass shooting in Thousand Oaks that happened just hours before the start of the wildfire. From 12 innocent lives lost in the Borderline shooting to neighborhoods destroyed.
“That community suffered great trauma and loss during those past few days,” Caouett said.
Smith and Caouett said the community’s support was stronger than they’ve ever seen before.
“Everywhere we went somebody was waving to us, giving us thumbs up, blessing us along the way for providing service,” Smith said.
A service challenged by relentless winds.
“The biggest fear and threat was the winds cause they were raging anywhere between 30 to 50 mile per hours winds at the time,” Caouett said.
“Everywhere the wind blew embers would fly, and we would have spot fires. We’d have flare-ups, it was just catching whatever fire we could,” Smith said.
34 hours shifts on the fire lines with no communication to loved ones.
“Because of all the power lines and GPS they can’t track us on our phones. We weren’t able to get out any text messages or anything,” Smith recalled.
“I do have a family. I want to go home to them. I’m looking out for my crew and the thought is, ‘We need to do our job. Whatever our task is, we need to perform it and deal with it,'” Caouett said.
Despite the worries, the two say they understand this comes with the job.
“It’s the job we signed up for. The duty to act and the responsibility we have to provide service for life and then property,” Smith said.
Smith and Caouett said their strike team consisted of 25 people from Cathedral City Fire, Hemet Fire, Riverside, Corona, and Cal Fire. The team was released late last week and are back on regular duty.
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