Nearly 400 Oregon firefighters are in L.A. area helping with mop-up operations as more Santa Ana winds approach

LOS ANGELES (KTVZ) -- With Santa Ana winds set to again hit the Los Angeles area, 21 Oregon strike teams made up of nearly 400 Oregon firefighters are putting out spot fires and embers, as winds could soon reach nearly 85 miles per hour and cause more blazes to break out.

"Our guys are being effective where we're good at - that's in those wildland-urban interfaces, and doing those mop-up operations around the structures," T.J. Ramos, a representative with the Oregon Department of Forestry, said Monday.

That's especially important, as these winds could start new blazes by whipping up any leftover flames or embers.

While Oregon firefighters are used to large wildfires, the mixture of high winds is not something they encounter often in the Beaver State.

"The Santa Ana winds and the duration of those winds, while we'll get some high winds (in Oregon), they're just gusts. They don't last very long," Ramos said.

Another different aspect is how dense and urban the areas are where these fires are raging, especially for the Palisades and Eton fires.

With over 12,000 structures destroyed and the death count now at least 24 people, the blazes are more destructive and deadly than any fire to burn in the state of Oregon.

Ramos said the fires they are fighting in Los Angeles remind their team of the Oregon wildfires of 2020, when more than 1 million acres burned, 4,000 homes were destroyed and nine people died.

With hotels booked to capacity, most of the Oregon firefighters are staying in nearby camps, including at the Rose Bowl Stadium.

Ramos said the encouragement they have seen is heartwarming,

"The support that our firefighters are getting down here is amazing. Both from the locals, in the area, from the local fire departments," he said, adding, "Morale is great. Things are moving forward."