Local fire departments send crews to help battle wildfires across California

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- With so many massive fires burning across California, several local fire departments are preparing to render aid.

Almost every other day in Tulare County, Cal Fire firefighters find themselves responding to another roadside scorcher.

"Basically, they are mopping it up," Toni Davis with Cal Fire said. said. "Which is anything that's smoke."

The rural hills aren't the only turf they're defending in the triple digit heat.

Just this week, the Cal Fire unit sent 5 engines, 7 firefighters, and 4 hand crews to other counties to defend those areas from massive wildfires.

"We rely on other units to come in and cover so that way we are not without nothing,"

More than 3,000 firefighters are tackling 10 large wildfires across the state.

On Monday alone, two new fires broke out northeast of Los Angeles County.

The Fresno Fire Department says its just a matter of time before they are inundated with requests too.

"Our region has already started to send resources," Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Todd Tuggle said. "Kern County has already sent resources and they are asking for more up and down the state."

But conditions at home this year make it a little more difficult to help.

The heat, shortage of firefighters and a large number of incidents locally are keeping the department busy.

"Right now we are really low on our staffing," Tuggle said. "We are in a position where we are being forced to mandatory people on a regular basis and our obligation is first to the city of Fresno."

Even so, fire departments say they try to free up every available resource, understanding the importance of teamwork in the face of such an unpredictable opponent.

"With the grass being as tall as it is and the timber mortality we are dealing with and the drought situation, it's all up in the air," Davis said.