Idaho firefighters homebound after two weeks in California

The last group of Idaho firefighters who traveled to help battle the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles started their drive home Sunday, more than two weeks after they first set out.

Kamiah Fire Chief Billy Monahan was among the roughly 100 Idaho firefighters who set out the evening of Jan. 8 and morning of Jan. 9 to assist.

“We're very excited to get home and see our families,” Monahan said during a phone interview Saturday. “I think many of the people that came here will cherish this assignment … to be able to say that you were able to help California on something this big is what we do this for.”

Idaho sent 25 engines and five task forces of roughly 20 to 22 people, Monahan said, the first two of which left Los Angeles on Saturday morning. The final groups from Idaho, including Monahan’s, worked their last shift Friday, and left Sunday.

North central Idahoans accompanying Monahan in Kamiah Engine 21 included Captain Josh Pospychalla of Orofino, Engineer Mike Grogan and firefighter brothers Myatt and Matthan Osborn of Kamiah, and Bryan Lowe of White Bird.

Monahan and his crew worked and rested in 24-hour shifts, he said.

“We would work all night long,” he said. “It was kind of difficult because there were times where you were sitting in your seat on the engine at 2 in the morning and you weren't able to lay down and sleep.”

The firefighters assisted battling hot spots from the Palisades Fire, and last week started assisting homeowners who were being allowed back into their neighborhoods to survey damage.

“Many of them, for two weeks, have not been able to see the damage or what's left of any of their lifelong belongings or possessions,” Monahan said.

On Friday, Monahan’s group also worked the area as President Donald Trump toured the Palisades Fire damage in a motorcade.

The Palisades Fire had burned 23,448 acres as of Jan. 23, according to Reuters.

The severity and scale of the fire wasn’t entirely new for Monahan, who  retired from the Los Angeles County Fire Department and moved to Idaho in 2017. But he said he believes the experience was especially significant for many of the younger volunteer firefighters from Idaho.

“It’s heartbreaking, whether it's one home or 10,000. Knowing they evacuated and left all their worldly possessions and came back to nothing,” he said. “To go to a big city from rural Idaho and see what they saw  had to have been very impactful.”

Monahan said states only deploy task forces for the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, or EMAC, to other states if firefighting crews also are able to maintain coverage in their own communities.

“We as chiefs will never send an engine away from our hometown districts or fire departments to a fire in another state unless we're able to maintain coverage,” he said. “There were many states that said, ‘No, I don't have the people and I don't have an engine that I can let go.’ So we move on to the next department.”

Monahan estimated roughly 40% of his task force was made up of volunteer firefighters. For everyone, he said, the time and energy they spent was a big commitment. Many volunteer firefighters also will be returning to their regular businesses or jobs.

“Many of us actually have to go back to work, when arriving back home. Whether you're paid, whether you're a volunteer, you are still committed at the start to these 14 days.”

Monahan said firefighters’ spouses are often the ones making those trips possible.

“It's asking a lot,” he said. “It takes a strong spouse to become independent, manage the family, manage the household in our absence. I know I'm very grateful for my wife (Bonnie), that she allows me to be able to do this.”

In addition to the firefighters’ families, the task forces received significant help from National Guard members.

“ During the power outage, they controlled the intersection to where we were able to swiftly roll through signals and stop signs without stopping every single time,” Monahan said, “which is very hard on fire engines and air brakes, as well as slowing you down.”

Local motels provided rooms for the firefighters, Monahan said, and community members made sure first responders had ample food, water and supplies.

Firefighters were offered “every type of food truck you could imagine,” Monahan said, including pizza, burritos and hamburgers.

“It's just been a treat to have that type of support for us,” he said. “They're overwhelmingly grateful that we have come from out of state to help them.”

Monahan said all Idaho firefighters are expected to be home by late Tuesday night.

Sun may be contacted at rsun@lmtribune.com or on Twitter at @Rachel_M_Sun. This report is made in partnership with Northwest Public Broadcasting, the Lewiston Tribune and the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.