Marin Firefighters Deployed to Loma Fire, Sawmill Fire

MARIN COUNTY, CA — Firefighting resources from Marin County were dispatched Monday to the Loma Fire, a new large fire burning in the Santa Cruz mountains, near Morgan Hill in Santa Clara County.

Amid the tail end of a red flag warning fueled by high temperatures and Santa Ana winds, it marks the second time in as many days that crews from Marin agencies have been sent to assist with wildfires. On Sunday, crews from the Marin County Fire Department were sent to aid with the firefighting effort at the 1,500-acre Sawmill Fire near Cloverdale in Sonoma County, the agency reported.

The Sawmill Fire was 20 percent contained Monday with mandatory evacuation orders in effect for The Geysers, according to Marin County fire Battalion Chief Bret McTigue.

As of Monday afternoon, McTigue said, more than 30 Marin firefighting personnel were assigned to the Sawmill Fire, including: the Tam crew, composed of a captain, an engineer and 12 firefighters; Marin County Strike Team 9150C, composed of a battalion chief and engine crews from the Point Reyes, Tomales, Marin City, Throckmorton and Woodacre fire stations; and the North Bay Incident Management Team, composed of several personnel from Marin County Fire as well as local government employees.

For the Loma Fire burning about 100 miles south of Marin, McTigue said crews were being deployed and bulldozers were on their way. The fire that broke out just before 3 p.m. Monday had burned more than 400 by late afternoon in an area north of the border between Santa Clara and Santa Cruz counties.
Evacuation orders were issued for people in about 300 structures near the fire on Casa Loma Road, Loma Chiquita Road and Loma Prieta Road, Bay City News Service reported.

• Click here for the latest information about the Loma Fire.
• Click here for the latest information about the Sawmill Fire

Yet additional Marin fire personnel remain assigned to the Soberanes Fire in Monterey County. A local government strike team composed of personnel from Novato, Ross Valley, Larkspur, San Rafael and other local departments are providing mutual aid for the July 22 blaze that is now 78 percent contained and 127,478 acres.

Back home in Marin, all fire stations remain staffed with at least the minimum number of personnel, McTigue told Patch.

“Given that we just got through a red flag warning with really high temperatures and still have winds on our upper mountains, fire is still a major concern for us,” McTigue said. “We have minimum staffing levels that we will always maintain.”

Just as an engine from almost every local Marin fire department is assigned to a large fire, he said if a big fire were to break out in Marin, mutual aid would be sent.

“That is a testament to our mutual aid system in California,” McTigue said. “Just like we provide aid to other counties and other units, we can call on them too if we get a fire on Mt. Tam tonight or tomorrow.”

Image via Marin County Fire Department, Facebook