Josie Herrera (bottom left) asks people from the KC metro area to pray for her sister Dolores Delgado Bernal (bottom right) family and others as the fire continues to spread. Delgado Bernal said, “At a point, there just wasn’t enough firefighters. It was just burning, there were no fire trucks, no firefighters. There were just too many and too big of fires. The firefighters couldn’t be everywhere.”
By Joe Arce
and Corey Crable
In California’s fire-battered Los Angeles County on Tuesday, fresh winds fanned the flames that have killed more than two dozen people and damaged or destroyed more than 12,000 structures in the area. The Palisades and Eaton fires, among the worst in the history of the state, were among multiple blazes that have driven nearly 200,000 people from their homes.
Residents of color, including Latinos, make up a large portion of those displaced by the fires that continue to ravage the county – including former Kansas Citian Dolores Delgado Bernal, who lives in Burbank with her family. Delgado Bernal and her husband moved to the L.A. area more than a decade ago.
In an exclusive interview via cell phone, She said she has come to expect the annual fires, but these, she stressed, were different.
“For us, the first day there was a lot of concern and fear just because the winds were so erratic and so powerful,” Delgado Bernal said. “The (fires) are just something that happens every year in the fall, but this was later than they normally happen and just much more powerful and not following their normal flow patterns.”
“The flames, which have fanned out in multiple different directions instead of taking just one path, aren’t the only thing about which to worry,” Delgado Bernal added. There’s also the suffocating smoke to consider, which was a huge concern in the first day following the outbreak of the blazes.”
“Once those winds died down, it was the smoke that impacted us. I think it was Wednesday morning when I looked out the window to my right. It was almost like an eclipse to the right it was dark from all the smoke. … It literally looked like it was an eclipse. So the air has been the biggest impact for us,” she said, adding that her family was ready to evacuate if necessary.
Thankfully, Delgado Bernal was able to monitor the fires’ progression on an app she had downloaded. It was her lifeline to the outside however, she could tell early on that resources to help fight the fires were dwindling.
“At that point, there just wasn’t enough firefighters. They were showing on the news places just burning, but there were no fire trucks, no firefighters,” Delgado Bernal said. “There were just too many and too big of fires. The firefighters couldn’t be everywhere.”
Suddenly, help came from the nation’s southern and northern borders, in the form of Canadian and Mexican firefighters, who came to L.A. County doing this amid comments from President-Elect Donald Trump about his desire to make Canada the 51st state and additional promises of mass deportations of Latino immigrants, made Californians appreciate the firefighters’ help even more, said Delgado Bernal’s sister Josie Herrera.
“It’s ironic that Canada and Mexico are still supporting our country when you get politically, how we’re not always the best neighbors to other countries sometimes,” Herrera said. “It’s heartwarming to see that there’s still other countries outreaching and despite political differences, still reaching out to help. They’ve made a huge difference. They came in like a small army and have really helped relieve some of those firemen that have just been working 24 /7 with minimal breaks. They’re exhausted, so it’s been a good relief to keep fighting the fires.”
If anyone knows about the importance of that added help, it’s KCK Luis Madrigal, a retired firefighter of 30 years.
“I think that’s great, because these guys, they’re ready to work. They want to work, they want to help. And hell, we still to this day collect fire equipment and take it down to Mexico. You know, these guys are enthusiastic and ready to work,” Madrigal said, noting that Kansas City shares sister cities with Mexico. “They have good firemen, because when we would go down there to Tangancicuaro, we would train them so they would know what they’re doing.”
The politicization of the fires hasn’t only come from the incoming Trump administration social media has been rife with criticism of L.A. Mayor Karen Bass and California Gov. Gavin Newsom. Still, to Herrera, those are comments for another time.
“I don’t think this is the right time to start pointing fingers. I think somebody is to blame for the fires, but who knows? Why throw politics into this?” Herrera said.
When the fires are finally extinguished and the smoke clears, Herrera noted that the damage caused by the flames will remain for years.
“It’s going to have a generational effect. And it’s going to affect all of us nationwide. I mean, that’s going to have an impact on everyone. And people don’t think, but it’s all the insurance companies, the ones nationwide, it’s going to affect all of us, trying to rebuild those cities and communities,” Herrera said. “All that stuff is just going to skyrocket because there’s going to be a shortage of supplies and workers as well as an increase in demand.”
Still, Madrigal urged those fighting the fires to not be discouraged and to remain diligent in their efforts.
“Being a firefighter is a different type of career. It’s a calling and it’s a brotherhood.
My hats off to those guys, because it’s even more demanding than a structure fire. So these guys are probably exhausted by now and they’ll get a little rest and they’ll get back at it as soon as they can,” Madrigal said. “So stay strong, my brothers, and we’re thinking about you.”
If you want to help, contact the America Red Cross 563-583-6451.
“The flames which have fanned out in multiple different directions instead of taking just one path, aren’t the only thing about which to worry,” Dolores Delgado Bernal (top) added. “There’s also the suffocating smoke to consider, which was a huge concern in the first day following the outbreak of the blazes.”
Firefighters that are fighting the blazes are appreciated. Many of them came from afar including Canada and Mexico.
