Features

Berkeley has sent seven firefighters and one engine to San Diego to do battle with the most destructive of the Southern California wildfires. 

Deputy Fire Chief David Orth said Berkeley likely would have committed an extra engine had local conditions also not been ripe for a wildfire. 

Firefighters remaining in Berkeley will work overtime to compensate for their reduced manpower, Orth said, adding that in the case of a brushfire, Berkeley can still field nine standard fire engines and two wildfire engines. 

“The problem now is depth,” he said, noting that many resources available to fight fires in Alameda County, including air support and prison crews trained to cut fire lines, have all been sent to Southern California. 

Of the seven Berkeley firefighters in San Diego, four were assigned to the engine, two are safety specialists and one is a member of his hometowns volunteer unit that was called into service.