ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. – 25 firefighters from New Mexico are heading to California to help battle a series of major fires in the Los Angeles area.

This will be a two-week deployment. They have two days to get out there and will then work around the clock alongside California firefighters before heading back.

According to officials in California, at least five people have died and this is considered one of the most devastating wildfires in California history.

Santa Fe firefighter, Rikki Valentine, just got back from California two days ago. But, when she saw the destruction, she knew she had to go back for another deployment. 

“We just got back from California two days ago. We were down there trying to backfill some of the stations, and we were waiting for the Santa Ana winds to hit. And then the day we left everything kind of, the winds came and then all the fires started happening. So, we just got back, and this will be my second deployment this year,” said Valentine. 

Homeland Security briefed the 25 firefighters that left New Mexico Thursday morning. This included a team of three first responders in San Juan County who joined via Zoom.

Firefighters in New Mexico are very well-trained when it comes to fighting wildfires. The division chief says this comes in handy when you have so many first responders from different states going in to help at once. 

“They’ve got the same training through the National Wildfire Coordination Group, so we have equal training across the board across the nation. They are going to be matching the skill levels of the operations that are needed out there,” said San Juan County Division Chief of Special Services, Shay Aurnhammer.

KOB 4 asked Bernalillo County fire about any future deployments, and they say these requests can come from several different places. 

After the two weeks they will reevaluate what things look like in California and back here at home and then determine how they can help if they are needed.