As catastrophic fires continue to rage in Southern California, destroying homes and prompting evacuation orders, animal shelters in the area are struggling with a wave of new arrivals, forcing many of them to seek help from sister shelters and rescues outside the region.

Fifteen Oregon strike teams have arrived in Southern California to assist in combating the wildfires in the Los Angeles area. The teams, consisting of 300 firef

Seaside Fire & Rescue Operations Chief Dave Rankin said he’s been in Los Angeles a few times. But he had a hard time believing his eyes as he arrived to help battle the ongoing

The firefighters in the “strike teams” were drawn from all over Oregon, including Clackamas and Multnomah counties. The state fire marshal said the number of firefighters sent to California makes the out-of-state deployment one of Oregon’s largest ever.