Dixie Fire Continues To Burn Through Northern California, Forcing Evacuations
WESTWOOD, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 12: San Jose firefighter Nick Gall (L) assists captain Brett Blean (R) as he uses a chainsaw to cut down a tree that is on fire while battling the Dixie Fire on August 12, 2021 near Westwood, California. The Dixie Fire has burned over 500,000 acres, destroyed over 1,000 structures, and currently stands at 30 percent contained. The fire is the second-largest fire in California state history. Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

The ongoing firefighting efforts against the Dixie Fire have seen more than 6,500 personnel; among them were Mexicans who were hired by a contractor and trained by the U.S. Forest Service to back up the country's firefighting crews.

Mexicans Fighting Dixie Fire

With an area of more than 960,000 acres, the Dixie Fire is currently considered California's largest fire and affected an area larger than the state of Rhode Island.

The Spanish-speaking firefighters and crews of the majority of Mexicans were working to stop further damages of the Dixie Fire.

According to ABC10, a crew boss from San Diego with more than 20 years of experience as a wildland firefighter, David "Buenos" Diaz, shared during an interview that the Mexicans were called "Trabajo de bombero," which in Spanish means workers of the fire.

Fire Crews with Mexicans

Despite the danger that they were facing in wildland firefighting and the difficulty of their work, Diaz said the bomberos from all over Mexico went for an opportunity in the U.S.

"People coming from Mexico, they're just like everybody. Everybody wants to make a good living, everybody wants to eat well, take care of our families," Diaz said.

On Sunday, Diaz's crew was working in a section of Lassen County where the Dixie fire had already blackened tree trunks. Aside from putting out hot spots in the area, the crew was also carving containment lines into the soil using their hand tools. The workers were hired and trained to do the firefighting techniques by a contractor with the U.S. Forest Service.

Moreover, 21-year-old Mexican national Sergio Coria Blanco was one of the youngest faces on the crew. Blanco left his family for an opportunity abroad. He left his brothers and sisters in his hometown of Morelia, in the state of Michoacán.

"There are many more possibilities to make money here, and I like the job," Coria said.

With wildfire conditions in the state of California growing ever more extreme, the U.S. Forest Service said that crews like the one held by Diaz were being utilized to mop up at the tail of the fire. The number of extra workers cleaning up the remains freed up more specialized crews to attack the head of the Dixie Fire.

The crew boss of another team, Ubaldo Vargas, shared that they are not only fighting fires as part of their job but also restoring nature. Vargas said that they were planting trees to make sure that the area would be taken care of.

Vargas added that his countrymen, the bomberos, who were working in the U.S., could expect to earn more money in the country than they might back home.

"For the people that come from Mexico, they always have a dream to come to work hard and help their families," Vargas said.

Furthermore, the workers also said that they felt a sense of brotherhood, accomplishment, and pride among the crew, especially when they were thinking about their loved ones back home.

"My daughters say, 'my dad's a firefighter, he works hard every day," Diaz said.

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Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: Meet the Bomberos: These Mexican nationals are helping tame the Dixie Fire -ABC10