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Extra help from the east coast to battle western wildfires
Jordan Bowen reports
TAMPA, Fla. - Some Bay Area firefighters with the Florida Forest Service returned home this week after spending more than two weeks in California helping crews contain the massive wildfires, which have killed more than 30 people and displaced thousands of others.
"It's ultimate destruction in some of those areas. It looks like a nuclear bomb went off in some of those areas where it's burning so hot," Florida Forest Service Forest Ranger Todd Boynton said.
Boynton has been to California to help twice over the last few weeks.
"When it gets to being able to take a step back and look at everything that's happened and is happening out there, it's just shocking that there is so much destruction happening," Boynton explained.
Boynton is part of the Myakka River District of the Florida Forest Service. He went to California along with a crew of 19 other firefighters. He just returned home on Thursday.
Throughout the first two weeks of his time there, he helped contain the fire by digging fire lines.
The wildfires hit especially close to home for Boynton because he has family in Northern California. Some of them were actually camping at the time when they found themselves trapped by the flames.
"They woke up in the morning smelling smoke. They came out of there tents and the fire was completely around the campsites," Boynton said.
His relatives took cover under a concrete bridge, where they waited for more than 12 hours until firefighters came and rescued them. Boynton says he's relieved no one was hurt.
"It was good to know they made it out. It just brought the family together really good," Boynton said.