The deadliest and most destructive wildfire in California history is nearly contained -- but the long road to recovery for the devastated region is only beginning.
Utility crews there are overwhelmed trying to restore power to communities that were scorched by the Camp Fire. And so Friday morning, dozens of Oncor trucks and 100 workers left Dallas to go help them.
"Our guys are no strangers to this kind of work, so they were up this morning and ready to go," said Jen Myers, Oncor spokesperson.
This marks the third time since September that Oncor has sent crews to different parts of the US following a natural disaster. The first two trips came after hurricanes.
"We do see wildfires here in Texas, so these are things that our crews are used to -- but on this kind of scale, this is definitely different," Myers said. "We're talking about burned out infrastructure -- so it's really replacing the poles, resetting the utility wires, and doing all these things that are really important. And of course, accessibility is a big issue when we get out there."
Those crews are expected to remain in California for two weeks. Myers noted that all of the men and women going volunteered to make the trip.
"Our crews stood up and said I want to help," said Myers. "It's the Oncor spirit that gets them up in the morning on a holiday weekend and says I don't want to spend it with my family. I want to make sure somebody in California gets to rebuild their life a little faster, gets the power on a little bit quicker. I think that says something to the Texas spirit."
