LAS VEGAS (KLAS) – The Southern Nevada Strike Team of firefighters deployed to help fight deadly wildfires in Los Angeles County, returned to Las Vegas Thursday.
The 45-member team, which included firefighters from Clark County Fire Department, Las Vegas Fire & Rescue, and Henderson Fire Department assisted Southern California crews for two weeks.
A team of 24 local firefighters were deployed on Jan. 8, assigned to help with the Palisades Fire, which has burned more than 23,000 acres and left 11 people dead.
A 21-person team deployed on January 9 was assigned to help with the Eaton Fire, which has burned more than 14,000 acres and claimed 17 lives.
“I really have a loss for words for it,” Clark County Fire Department Captain Travis Grove said. “Seeing the devastation, everything that happened.”
Grove said the destruction in areas ravaged by deadly wildfires was unlike anything he had ever seen in his 22 years of firefighting.
“The entire area was full of people who lost everything,” Clark County Fire Department Captain Jasmine Ghazinour added. “Their houses, their food, their way of living.”
Captains Ghazinour and Grove were both part of the strike team that returned to Southern Nevada Thursday evening.
During their two-week trip, Captain Grove told 8 News Now they jumped to help in any way possible.
“There were still gas lines on fire, gas leaks everywhere,” Captain Grove said. “And we were just filling in where we could.”
The team mainly focused on knocking down building fires, protecting homes, clearing debris, and helping evacuated families return to their homes; many were burned to the ground.
“We would catch people going in in the rubble and the debris,” Captain Grove recalled. “There’s nothing left in their house, and all they would want is a plant in the back of their house that was their mother’s and all that was left.”
The pain and emotion were overwhelming, but the crews told 8 News Now those left with nothing could still come together.
“Every other block just had everyone giving out food, and water,” Captain Ghazinour said. “Just the community response was amazing, it reminded me of One October.”
Members of the Southern Nevada Strike Team told 8 News Now their connection with that community is something they will always remember, as it slowly builds back from so much tragedy.
“It was crushing,” Captain Grove concluded.
Firefighters who returned from their two-week deployment Thursday will have a mandatory three days off before returning to their duties in Southern Nevada.
