MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico sent a team of firefighters to California on Saturday to help teams battling raging wildfires that have destroyed parts of Los Angeles.
“Humanitarian aid group departs for Los Angeles, California,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X on Saturday morning, posting photos of firefighters carrying Mexican and California flags and standing on the tarmac in front of two planes.
She added: “We are a country of generosity and solidarity.”
Six simultaneous fires that have torn through Los Angeles County neighborhoods since Tuesday have killed at least 11 people and damaged or destroyed 10,000 structures. The number of casualties is expected to rise when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house searches.
California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked Mexico in a message on X posted on Friday after the deployment was announced.
“California is extremely grateful for Chief Sheinbaum’s support as we work to suppress the Los Angeles wildfires,” he wrote.
