Navajo Nation Firefighters Battle Wildfires in Los Angeles
A Heroic Effort to Protect Los Angeles
Firefighters from the Navajo Nation worked tirelessly through a haze of dust to cut away dirt from a narrow road at the side of a mountain struck by a landslide in Southern California, coughing and sneezing amid the backbreaking work.
The Battle Against Wildfires
The Navajo Scouts’ eighth straight day battling the Eaton Fire outside Los Angeles was a grueling one, as they restored vehicle access to the mountain on the outskirts of Altadena and checked on the fire damage to structures at the top.
The team of 23 crew members had traveled for two days to Southern California from the Navajo Scouts’ headquarters along the Arizona-New Mexico state line at Fort Defiance to join the fight against wildfires that have killed at least 27 people, destroyed more than 12,000 structures, and put more than 80,000 under evacuation orders.
The Navajo Scouts’ Role in the Effort
The Navajo Scouts’ “initial attack” crew, which includes several elite hotshot-certified firefighters, has helped Los Angeles residents cut through landslides and mangled trees and worked to snuff out lingering “hot spot” fires.
“We all feel like we’re giving back to the people,” said Brian Billie, an emergency coordinator for the Navajo Scouts. “Just talking to the locals, some of them have been here ever since childhood and they lost their homes.”
From Native American Tribes to Los Angeles
Eleven electric utility journeymen from the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority have also deployed to Los Angeles to assist in the wildfire response and recovery, with qualifications to work on both new construction and “hot” lines.
A Debt of Gratitude
These utility workers are repaying a debt of gratitude after utility workers from the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power traveled to the Navajo Nation repeatedly in recent years on a training mission and helped extend power to 170 Navajo households that didn’t have service previously, said Deenise Becenti, a spokesperson for the Navajo utility.
The Impact on the Navajo Nation
More than 10,400 families live without electricity across the Navajo Nation, which spans an area the size of West Virginia, a lingering legacy of gaps in the U.S. rural electrification efforts of the 1930s.
Becenti said that Navajo utility crews are accustomed to living away from home periodically to complete major construction projects on the vast reservation, but the deployment to Los Angeles marks the first participation in a major mutual aid project beyond that homeland.
Conclusion
The Navajo Nation firefighters and utility workers are making a heroic effort to protect the people of Los Angeles, including the diaspora of Navajo people who live there. Their selflessness and dedication are a testament to the strength and resilience of Native American communities, and their contribution to the mutual aid effort will not be forgotten.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: What is the Navajo Scouts?
A: The Navajo Scouts are a team of elite firefighters from the Navajo Nation who are certified in hotshot firefighting techniques.
Q: What is the purpose of the Navajo Tribal Utility Authority’s deployment to Los Angeles?
A: The Navajo Tribal Utility Authority has deployed to Los Angeles to assist in the wildfire response and recovery, and to repay a debt of gratitude to the Los Angeles Department of Water & Power for their support of the Navajo Nation in recent years.
Q: What is the Navajo Nation’s goal in this effort?
A: The Navajo Nation’s goal is to provide mutual aid to the people of Los Angeles and to repay a debt of gratitude to the community that has supported the Navajo Nation in times of need.
Q: What is the Navajo Nation’s status in terms of electrification?
A: More than 10,400 families live without electricity across the Navajo Nation, which spans an area the size of West Virginia, a lingering legacy of gaps in the U.S. rural electrification efforts of the 1930s.