Water rescue team members pick up animals in rural areas around Wharton, Texas.
Some of the Bay Area firefighters who have been helping with water rescue efforts in Texas in response to flooding from Hurricane Harvey are heading home, a fire department spokeswoman said.
A total of 47 personnel flew home to the Oakland Airport on Southwest Flight 1518, arriving Monday at 7:05 p.m., according to Aisha Knowles of the Alameda County Fire Department.
The remaining 26 firefighters will be driving back with the equipment and are expected to arrive on Thursday or Friday, Knowles said.
The team consists of consists of firefighters from central San Mateo County, Palo Alto, San Mateo, San Jose, South San Francisco and the Menlo Park Fire Protection District. It was sponsored by the latter district, which is headed up by Chief Harold Schapelhouman. The team, which responds to disasters nationwide, brought three drones with them.
The drones saved firefighters time because they could focus their attention on where people were. No other team was authorized to bring drones to the disaster.
“We’ve been kind of leading in this area,” Schapelhouman said. Menlo Park fire officials have received approval to fly drones anywhere in the United States during the day and in certain areas at night.
The approval to fly anywhere in the daytime came because the team does respond to disasters nationwide.
The team’s rescue work is mostly over in Texas.
The team has been in the city of Wharton, one of the lowest points in the state, where firefighters have had the opportunity to rescue seniors mainly.
Two other firefighters from San Mateo County have been deployed out of the area. They were sent to extinguish a fire in Helena.
One of those is now heading to the Eclipse Complex Fire in the Klamath and Six Rivers national forests near the Oregon border.
Another could be going south to the La Tuna Fire near Burbank in Los Angeles County where nearly 6,000 acres have burned
Schapelhouman said both firefighters are part of strike teams that are sent to keep homes from being destroyed.
Another firefighter is being deployed to the Pier Fire in Tulare County where more than 17,000 acres have burned.
Throughout the deployments, Menlo Park and other fire officials make sure there are enough firefighters to keep Bay Area residents safe.
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