Reading Time: 2 minutes

Several departments from Merced and Mariposa counties are among the multitude of agencies now in Southern California to battle the half dozen wildfires that have claimed lives and destroyed more than 1,000 homes.

Mark Pimentel, assistant fire chief of Merced Fire Department/Cal Fire, is among those local firefighters on scene in Southern California. From his department, one fire chief and four apparatus engineers are part of a joint task force.

Pimentel said two engineers will also be heading south to assist with drone surveillance, and a battalion chief is also leading an engine strike team.

Meanwhile, Merced Fire Department has deployed a Type 3 and a Type 6 engine along with one strike team leader, totaling eight personnel.

Plus, Merced Fire has deployed an Office of Emergency Services Type 6 engine with a fire captain, fire engineer and firefighter.

A dispatcher from Cal Fire’s Madera-Mariposa-Merced Unit told The Merced FOCUS it has anywhere from 60 to 80 personnel assisting with the effort to fight the fires, which includes several strike teams.

A total of five fires are burning in Los Angeles County alone, with a sixth fire burning in nearby Ventura County, according to the Cal Fire website.

The largest blaze, the Palisades fire, has spread to more than 15,800 acres, while the Eaton fire now burns 10,600 acres, more than quintuple its size Wednesday morning, NPR News reported.

More than 1,000 homes have been destroyed and at least five people have died, according to LAist. Thousands of people have been evacuated.

The outbreak of fires is already being called unprecedented in the state. LAist reports local firefighting resources are already maxed out, with personnel requested to respond from as far as Oregon and Washington.