More metro-area crews awaiting orders to move
 
By Jerd Smith
Rocky Mountain

DENVER, Colo. — Metro-area fire departments stood ready to move Wednesday, awaiting orders from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to head for Southern California.

More than 70 Colorado firefighters and eight wildland fire engines have already been sent to the fires since Tuesday, and more are expected to be dispatched, according to the Rocky Mountain Area Coordination Center.

"The requests are starting to ramp up as California is running out of its own crews," said Steve Segin, public information officer for the center.

Segin said FEMA is sending out a national request for 625 engines and crew members, some of which will come from Colorado.

"We have a lot of folks on standby," said Kerry Kimble, state emergency operations center manager.

Some firefighters are flying to the region, while others are driving firetrucks there. Still other firefighting equipment is being sent on tractor-trailers, though there were concerns Wednesday that large tractor-trailers might be hard to find.

But Kimble said the state has standing contracts with trucking firms to ensure it can deliver firetrucks as they're needed.

Kimble said California may need even more trucks — as many as 200 more — by the time the first wave of reinforcements arrive later this week.

"It will take a couple of days for them to get there and by then, those already working will need to be pulled off the line," he said.

The Denver Fire Department has sent one firefighter and has five more on standby should they be needed, but spokesman Phil Champagne said the department would not be sending trucks.

The West Metro Fire District said it had two wildland firetrucks standing by, as well as several firefighters.

"They are ready to go," said Cindy Matthews, spokeswoman for the West Metro Fire District, which covers parts of Littleton, Lakewood, Morrison and parts of unincorporated Jefferson and Douglas counties.

Firefighters at the district are trained in urban interface firefighting and have skills critical to the work now being done in California.

Kimble said other state agencies, such as the Department of Public Health and Environment, are also gearing up to send staffers to help at hospitals and emergency shelters. 

Copyright 2007 Denver Publishing Company