Arizona firefighter Rich Jones, a battalion chief with the Department of Forestry and Fire Management (DFFM), recently shared his emotional experience battling wildfires in Los Angeles. Jones, along with about 150 Arizona fire personnel, answered the call to assist california in its fight against devastating wildfires.
Jones began his assignment at the Eaton Fire near Altadena before moving on to the Hughes Fire near Castaic. Over the past few weeks, he and his team have been tackling the Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes fires, which have collectively scorched nearly 50,000 acres and claimed 28 lives.
Reflecting on his time in Los Angeles, Jones described the emotional toll of witnessing such destruction. “Our heartstrings were pulled left and right out here,” he said.
While his team was able to save many homes and lives, he lamented the thousands of people who lost everything. “Emotionally, it’s hard to detach,” he admitted.
Jones also highlighted the unique challenges of fighting fires in Los Angeles compared to Arizona. “The Eaton Fire brings a whole new level of complexity due to the Santa Ana wind events,” he explained.
He noted that the region’s dense population, extensive infrastructure, and privately owned properties make firefighting efforts especially difficult.
Despite the challenges, Jones views the experience as invaluable for enhancing wildfire preparedness in Arizona. “I’m excited for the relationships I’ve built with cooperators here,” he said. “That collaboration will help us when dealing with fires back home in Arizona.”
After spending more than two weeks on the frontlines, Jones is ready to return to his family. “These are precious scraps of time that we trade away from our family to be here for the wildfire community,” he said. “I look forward to spending those precious scraps of time with my family.”
Jones has two days left on his current assignment shift, after which he will be required to take a two-day rest period. However, he could be asked to extend his deployment for another 21 days.
As of now, about 150 Arizona firefighters remain in Los Angeles, with no set timeline for when all crews will return home.
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