A 20 member team from the Delaware Forest Service has joined efforts to fight a wave of wildfires in northern California.
California declared a state of emergency, as lightnings sparked wildfires near the town of Hayfork between July 29th and July 31st. The incident is known as the Fork Complex, consisting of 40 wildfires covering 25,000 acres in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest.
The blazes have forced several evacuations and road closures. Only five percent of it has been contained.
Delaware’s forest service team is part of the nearly 1,500 personnel now in Northern California to fight the wildfires. The group - made up of volunteer firefighters and public agency personnel trained in wildland firefighting - is currently working with similar 20 man crews from Maryland, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The Red Cross and the Salvation Army are providing aid to Hayfork residents.
