An army of firefighters brave deadly, epic firestorm

SONOMA, California (AP) — Santa Rosa firefighter Brandon Palmer has fought big blazes in his 20 years on the job, but the 81-hour shift he spent fighting the fire storm in his own neighborhood this week was still stunning.

“It’s crazy to watch your hometown be annihilated by fire,” he said, back at his Santa Rosa firehouse. “It just takes your breath away.”

Palmer is one of more than 10,000 firefighters working this week to control the most destructive group of fires in state history. Dozens of people have been killed, and more than 5,000 homes and other structures have been damaged or destroyed.

Fighting the fires has been exhausting, days and nights dragging heavy hoses through thick smoke, hiking over steep terrain, hopping on and off trucks. More than 200 hand crews are also on the scene, building fire lines with shovels and bulldozers, slashing through brush with chainsaws and pulaskis, hiking for miles with heavy backpacks.

When the fire broke out above Santa Rosa, Palmer — who was off duty — hurried into the station, grabbed his gear and went to work, dragging hoses through vegetation.

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Full story from AP on WOODTV8


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