Departments send locals to fight wildfire

Twelve firefighters and two battalion chiefs from Newport Beach and Costa Mesa attack north Orange County blaze.The Newport Beach and Costa Mesa fire departments sent 12 firefighters and two battalion chiefs to assist in battling a wildfire that broke out Monday in northeast Orange County.

Local firefighters responded in a commitment to a statewide agreement to help other cities or counties when an emergency overwhelms resources.

The firefighters were deployed late Monday as part of six teams of five engines, with four firefighters on each engine. Each team is led by one battalion chief.

The Costa Mesa firefighters Tuesday helped to suppress the fire and contain it to the east side of the 241 toll road, said Costa Mesa Battalion Chief Keith Fujimoto.

Newport Beach crews worked to protect structures from the fire, said Newport Beach Fire Department spokeswoman Jennifer Schulz.

By 6 p.m. Tuesday, the wildfire had reportedly burned more than 6,500 acres.

While firefighters fought the blaze miles away from Newport-Mesa, a fire warning kept firefighters here on alert.

“The potential is certainly there.... We keep our fingers crossed that a situation doesn’t happen that starts a fire,” Newport Beach Fire Battalion Chief Paul Matheis said.

The dry weather and dry vegetation, combined with winds and low humidity, create the potential for wildfire, Matheis said.

The Orange County Healthcare Agency on Tuesday warned people across the county of potential complications from the drifting smoke. Fire conditions can boost air pollution and create respiratory problems for elderly people, children and pregnant women, said OC Health Care officer Hildy Meyers in a prepared statement.

Fire officials from both cities said that local agencies remain fully staffed and ready to handle any emergency that may happen at home.

“The coverage is the same as it would be if they hadn’t gone out,” Matheis said.

The firefighting teams from Costa Mesa and Newport Beach could have returned late Tuesday, but that depended on the conditions, officials said.

Winds could keep the firefighters there overnight, Fujimoto said.