Several local firefighters were deployed Friday to California to help fight the wildfires there.
The Flower Mound and Highland Village fire departments received requests from Texas Intrastate Fire Mutual Aid System for brush trucks and personnel. The Texas Department of Emergency Management has authorized 50 engines to be deployed to California, including one from Highland Village and one from Flower Mound.
Flower Mound Engineer Brody Eakin, Firefighter John Davis and Capt. Wade Woody were deployed with the Flower Mound brush truck. Highland Village Fire Equipment Operator/Paramedic Mel Harper, Lake Cities Firefighter/Paramedic Patrick Walsh and Lewisville Capt. Darrin Murray were deployed with the Highland Village brush truck as part of a local strike team, according to a news release from the city of Highland Village. Both teams are deployed for up to two weeks.
“In the fire service we rely heavily on great partnerships with our neighboring agencies to confront emergencies,” said Highland Village Fire Chief Michael Thomson. “Today our partnership with Lake Cities and Lewisville is meeting the need on the west coast to assist our brothers and sisters who are fighting extreme and unprecedented wildland and forest fires. Please keep our team in your thoughts and prayers as the travel and help those in need.”
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