San Diego Firefighter Deployed To Maui To Support Wildfire Response

SAN DIEGO, CA — A San Diego firefighter was deployed Monday to Maui to help respond to the wildfires that have devastated Hawaii.

Urban Search and Rescue California Task Force 8, hosted by the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department, deployed one SDFD firefighter/paramedic. He will serve as a point of arrival mobilization specialist, according to Mónica Muñoz, spokesperson for the San Diego Fire-Rescue Department.

The deployment is expected to last about 14 days. The deployment can be extended or shortened as needed, Muñoz, said. She noted that the department has not received requests for additional personnel.

"The situation on the island is being assessed frequently, and if there is a need and we receive a request, we will do our best to fill it," Muñoz said.

At least 99 people have died in the fires, with many more still missing. The fires sparked last Tuesday night, swept through the west end of Maui and leveled the town of Lahaina, making it the deadliest U.S. wildfire in more than 100 years, according to federal authorities.