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San Benito
March 19, 2024

Hollister firefighters deployed to massive Northern Calif. fire

Two Hollister Fire Department firefighters have been deployed to major wildfires fires over the past several days, most recently to the 139,000-acre Carr Fire located in Shasta County.

That fire based in Whiskeytown had burned precisely 131,896 acres and was 39 percent contained as of 7:08 a.m. Friday, according to Calfire.

Calfire requested the assistance from outside fire departments due to the number and sizes of fires burning.

Those two same firefighters, Capt. Josh Buzzetta and Engineer Vince Grewohl, were initially deployed July 27 as part of a multi-jurisdictional task force to the Cranston Fire in Riverside County, but two days later were rerouted to the Carr Fire. The Cranston Fire was nearly 100 percent contained at just over 13,000 acres burned as of Friday morning, according to Calfire.

Hollister sent a water tender fire engine as part of five pieces of equipment in the task force, Rossi said.

The two firefighters are moving water from one location to the other with the water tender, Rossi said.

Such deployments are typically 14 days, while Calfire can keep equipment for up to 21 days. The state reimburses jurisdictions like Hollister for all the resources.

In prior years, Hollister has declined to participate in such mutual aid agreements due to lacking resources. Rossi said the city still lacks resources, particularly because it covers the entire county, but noted that wildfires have “really ramped up” in recent years, necessitating the help from the city.

“It seems like it’s getting going earlier,” he said of fire season.

-Kollin Kosmicki

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