Israeli Firefighters Arrive To Battle CA Wildfires

SACRAMENTO, CA — A team of 10 firefighters from Israel arrived in Sacramento Sunday to join the fight in suppressing some of the largest wildfires California has ever seen. This marks the first time Israelis have been deployed to fight fires in the United States, officials announced Monday.

The crew will help battle the massive wildfires in Northern California for the next two weeks.

Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg gave the crew a warm welcome Sunday.

"Today we welcomed a delegation of firefighters from Israel who arrived yesterday," Steinberg tweeted. "Tomorrow they will report to the CA Office of Emergency Services and be dispatched to fires around the state. As a Jewish mayor, I’m particularly proud and happy to see them come to our aid.”

Today we welcomed a delegation of firefighters from Israel who arrived yesterday. Tomorrow they will report to the CA Office of Emergency Services and be dispatched to fires around the state. As a Jewish mayor, I’m particularly proud and happy to see them come to our aid. pic.twitter.com/0xpAHrgkCY
— @mayor_Steinberg (@Mayor_Steinberg) August 30, 2020

The SCU Lightning Complex is the second largest wildfire in state history, which has burned 383,157 acres and is 60 percent contained. The LNU Lightning Complex, the third largest, which has burned 375,209 acres and is 63 percent contained.

More resources and firefighters are expected to arrive in the coming weeks, Cal Fire said Monday, but a timeline has not been confirmed yet.

Other countries, such as Australia and Canada have been called on to aid California firefighters but it's unclear whether they will be deployed. Both Australia and New Zealand supported firefighters in the state during the catastrophic Mendocino Complex Fires in 2018.

SEE ALSO: CA Fires 2020: 1.46M Acres Burn; Containment Progress Grows