MONTEREY, Calif. (KGET) — The Bakersfield Fire Department deployed 29 firefighters to Monterey County on Tuesday to help prepare for any possible mud and debris flow.
Communities along the Santa Cruz mountains are bracing for what may be the region’s most powerful storm in four years. Evacuations are underway as officials try to clear people away from areas that were burned in wildfires, making them more at risk to mudslides or debris flows.
BFD Deputy Chief Bill Ballard said the department accepted the assignment as part of the state’s regional task force system.
“Anybody who stayed around or got caught by surprise, we would come around and provide search in those areas,” he said.
It’s not clear at this time how long the firefighters will stay there. Ballard said it depends on how severe the storm damage is. However, he said it won’t affect services here in Bakersfield.
