Firefighters from Kings County were on the move Monday as wildfires burn in the San Fernando Valley, fueled by harsh Santa Ana winds. A strike force of 22 members of the Kings County Fire Department and four firefighters from the Hanford Fire Department left Monday afternoon to battle the blazes in Los Angeles County and other fires in Ventura.

"Anytime we give a commitment like this, it is a 14-day commitment," Kings County Fire Chief Jim Kilner said. "The OES engine sent to Ventura could be there as long as required. We've got a few more resources we can give up, but we are tapped really close."

Engines from Avenal, Lemoore, Corcoran, Armona and Hanford were sent down south, while state-funded Office of Emergency Services (OES) engines from Kings, Bakersfield, Porterville, Tulare and Kern Counties headed toward Ventura.

Media reports indicate that more than 1,000 firefighters and nine aircraft are being used to battle the dual San Fernando Valley blazes, which are burning a combined area of over 8,000 acres.

"Everything is still dry and the L.A. basin has not received any rain at all," Kilner said. "The humidity is down really low with winds gusting at 40 to 50 mph or higher. This is just a typical fall pattern for that area and everything is still dry and flammable."

The reporter can be reached at 583-2425.

(Oct. 14, 2008)