Firefighters from Mexico and Canada have joined the battle against the ongoing devastating wildfires in Los Angeles, in the US State of California.Mexico sent a crew of more than 70 firefighters and troops to the city and will start tackling the Palisade fire on Monday, Cal Fire – the state’s fire authority – said, News.az reports, citing BBC.
“All 73 will be paired up as a handcrew,” Cal Fire public information officer Curtis Rhodes said.
These crews have the responsibility of constructing fire lines – strips of land cleared of flammable materials.
Cal Fire says that firefighters from Canada have also been deployed to the region.
Over the weekend, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky offered to deploy 150 firefighters from his country to assist in fighting the blazes.
At least 24 people lost their lives in the wake of the devastating wildfires ravaging Los Angeles.
The Los Angeles County Coroner’s Office said they are investigating at least two dozen deaths related to two massive wildfires that have been raging in Southern California since last Tuesday.
Officials said 16 deaths were attributed to the Eaton fire and eight were linked to the Palisades fire. Those numbers are expected to rise, as the medical examiner said they cannot confirm human remains until they are processed at their facility.
More than 150,000 residents have been evacuated, with another 87,000 in evacuation warning zones. More than 12,000 homes and businesses have been burned to the ground, with the wildfires so far scorching over 60 square miles (155 square kilometers).