Wildfire season is already off to a raging start in Utah.

So far in 2024, there have been over 400 fire starts across the state, with more than 5,000 acres burned, according to Utah Fire Info.

But other areas in the western United States are also fanning the flames. In California, over 130,000 acres have burned due to wildfires across the state, Cal Fire reports.

With emergency crews on the ground working to get to a handle on over 2,500 wildfires, assistance from nearby states has been needed.

On June 30, four members of the Pleasant Grove Fired Department’s Wildland Crew set out for a two-week deployment to offer a helping hand to crews battling ongoing wildfires in Southern California.

Their current task is pre-positioning themselves to knock down wildfire starts before they get out of hand.

“As of right now, they are doing initial attack in the southern end of California. I don’t believe they have been assigned to a specific fire out there; they are just available to catch the lightning strikes they have been having,” Battalion Chief Jake Larsen told the Daily Herald.

Larsen, who is not out on the current deployment, said the Pleasant Grove crew initially was called on to focus on Angeles National Forest, the mountainous area above Los Angeles. But more than likely, he said, the Wildland Crew will spend the deployment responding to various locations wherever the need is.

“Sometimes, Cal Fire will take and catch the fires themselves, but they want resources there (in the state) to catch all the lightning strikes,” Larsen explained.

Pleasant Grove Fire is among multiple crews tapped to aid in wildfire response in the area.

Larsen says they were selected from a national list of fire crews who are available to assist based on the type of fire engines needed to handle each specific threat.

“Every year, we put a type 5 (fire engine) up on the board to assist wherever we are needed. Last year, we got out on one deployment to Texas. We are just starting our wildland program, so we hope to get out more each year,” Larsen said.

While the trip is a neighborly gesture, the days can be long and grueling.

It also means fire crew members have to sacrifice time with their families — in this case, during a major holiday. “It makes the deployment that much more difficult. But this is what the guys and gals love. They love getting out and helping wherever they can,” Larsen said. “There is always a sacrifice when it comes to the fire service and family.”

It’ll be around the middle of July when the Pleasant Grove Fire Department Wildland Crew is expected to return home, unless their services are needed for longer.

“Most of the time, the resource order goes for 14 days. And depending on how far it is from your home, it could be one or two days’ travel. So we figure they’re going to be gone 16 (days) with a day of travel for there and back,” Larsen explained.