SYLMAR, Calif. — Firefighters from Angeles National Forest left LAX for Australia to assist crews in what's being called an unprecedented fire season.
Justine Gude works with Texas Canyon Hotshots in Saugus and also with the U.S. Forest Service. Last week, she got a call from her chief.
“He asked if anyone would be interested, and I was like, 'Man sign me up!' she said. "I was one of the people selected and I’m super excited about that.”
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Eduardo Valle found out he was going on New Year’s Eve. “I was excited," he remembered, but added that a lot of things went through his head. He thought about what his fellow firefighters are facing in Australia. He also thought about his wife Ana and his daughter Samarah, who is about to turn 2 years old.
“We planned on having her in the wintertime, so I would never skip a birthday. So now this came up!" he said. "But you know, this is kind of out of the ordinary.”
According to reports, the fires have burned millions of acres, killing more than 20 people and as many as half a billion animals. Valle says he’s been following the situation closely and trying to prepare. Fighting fires may not be foreign to him, but these particular fires will be.
“It’s all going to be new terrain, new fuel, new weather, new terminology," Valle said. "There’s going to be a lot to learn—definitely.”
As for his wife, Ana, she said she's concerned.
"At the same time I’m proud of him because he’s going to help over there," she said.
In a sense, Valle is part of the Dream Team, all of them crew bosses and leaders with anywhere from five to 20 years of experience under their belts.
It’s been a full decade since the U.S. last sent firefighters to Australia, so Gude saw this as the opportunity of a lifetime—one she’s spent her career preparing for.
“Everybody watches these terrible stories, but everybody always wants to know, well what can I do? And I am in the unique position to actually be able to do something and that feels really good," she said. "I just don’t know exactly how they fight fire in Australia, but I’m looking forward to finding out.”
She’s also looking forward to bringing everything she learns back to California—new tools for the next fire season.