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10/25/2007: "SJ Joins In Firefighting In Ca"

Two strike teams of firefighters from Washington state were dispatched to Southern California last night to lend their support in battling blazes that have consumed hundreds of homes and caused mass evacuations in San Diego County and elsewhere.

Departing in the dark of night were two structural strike teams made up of personnel and equipment from four counties-King, Pierce, San Juan, and Thurston.

The San Juan group is comprised of a team of three firefighters from Orcas Island and a member of the San Juan County Department of Emergency Management (DEM). They departed Tuesday evening at the request of the state of California to assist as needed with the record wildfires.

Orcas firefighters Mike Harris, Rick Anda, and Julie Remington and DEM employee Dave Halloran left to join a strike team of other firefighters from a number of counties across Washington State.

Their deployment could be as long as 14 days, depending upon the needs of the state of California.