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Highland Lakes firefighters returning from California deployment

A group of firefighters in Southern California plan their day beside a Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department fire engine. Three Highland Lakes-area firefighters made the trip to Los Angeles to help battle the devastating wildfires impacting the area. Marble Falls Area VFD photo

Three Highland Lakes firefighters are returning home from a 16-day volunteer mission to Southern California, where they battled the enormous wildfires that have been devastating the Los Angeles area since early January.

Marble Falls Area Volunteer Fire Department Chief Engineer Thomas Jacobs and Horseshoe Bay Fire Department Lt. Jason Blackmon and Engineer Jonathan Morrison left for Los Angeles on Jan. 11 as part of a massive aid effort from Texas to California. They are expected to be home by Monday night (Jan. 27) or Tuesday morning.

“Most of what (the local firefighters) had to say is that (fighting the California fires) was really an eye-opening experience,” Marble Falls Area VFD Chief Michael Phillips told DailyTrib.com. “You see this stuff on TV, but when you see 8,000 homes just flat gone, it’s different. Could you imagine seeing that in Marble Falls?”

According to stats shared by the Los Angeles Times, the area’s three major fires—Palisades, Eaton, and Hughes—were all over 90 percent contained as of Monday. In total, the fires have killed at least 28 people, burned over 47,800 acres (74 square-miles), and destroyed more than 16,000 structures since Jan. 7.

The response from Highland Lakes firefighters was part of a greater aid effort from the state of Texas, which promised 135 first responders and 45 emergency vehicles to help California battle the blazes.

Chief Phillips said area fire chiefs have collectively decided to lend support outside of the Highland Lakes area whenever possible while still prioritizing local fires.

“I’m excited that they’re coming home, but some of those guys are already asking when they can go again,” he said. “We have been trying to work together so we can protect the homefront, but we also want to be available to help others.”

dakota@thepicayune.com