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Pacific Palisades, Calif. - On January 7, 2025, devastating fires tore through several communities in Southern California to include, but not limited to, the areas known as the Pacific Palisades, Eaton, and Altadena. These fires caused some of the greatest devastation that Southern California has known in all of history.
That’s when other agencies came to assist. Fires of this magnitude have currently burned 36 square miles according to Capt. Adam Van Gerpen, the public information officer with the Los Angeles City Fire Department. “We’re used to having fires that are maybe, … a couple hundred acres, but this was over 23,000 acres.”
According to Van Gerpen when the fires started, it was not safe for the public to be there. Mobilized California Army National Guard soldiers assisted local law enforcement and provided perimeter security keeping civilians safe and out of unauthorized areas.
Lt. Col. James Smith, 49th MP Brigade commander, stationed in the Pacific Palisades says, “We sent up our five military police companies down here in our brigade headquarters… [to] help law enforcement and local officials with the emergency response.” According to the commander the fires have burned approximately 10,000 structures.
Sgt. Deven Hale-Simpson, 330th MP Company said, “We’re setting up barriers and checking IDs… because we don’t want anybody just coming in.” This effort also mitigates any potential looters from the affected areas too.
Firefighter Ingvar Corona, mentioned that the soldiers were “the muscle” whenever they needed help moving equipment or setting up control points. Corona said “a big part of their presence here is seeing how the outside community is seeing how we are all working together”
Army National Guard Soldiers only serve part time, have civilian careers and live in the same communities. Smith is very impressed with the empathy and care from his troops. “They see their community suffering, and they’re ready to respond.”
| Date Taken: | 01.31.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2025 12:28 |
| Story ID: | 489957 |
| Location: | PACIFIC PALISADES, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Soldiers Come Together with other First Responders to Serve their Community When Disaster Strikes in Southern California, by SSG Christine Carver, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
