As fires continue to ravage the region, some locals are banding together to try to make a difference for one firefighter on the front lines. U.S. Forest Service firefighter Sergio Toscano’s home was among the 20 homes destroyed by the Sand Fire so far—while Toscano himself was on the job fighting a different fire in the Cleveland National Forest outside of San Diego.
When Toscano came back from the fireline he was working to contain, he was alerted to the loss of his family’s home, as well as that of two fellow Forest Service firefighters who live adjacent to the Bear Divide Ranger Station inside the Angeles National Forest.
Quickly, his friend Brandon Opliger sprung to action, establishing a Go Fund Me campaign to raise money to help the the three families recover. Within hours, hundreds of donations began to flow in, along with offers of assistance from non-profit groups. As his story continues to be shared, the crowdfunding campaign is making progress toward a goal of $30,000 to help with the rebuilding efforts.
The fast-moving and destructive Sand Fire has scorched more than 51 square miles as of ABC7’s most recent reporting and remains largely uncontained. This morning, officials issued additional mandatory evacuation orders, raising the number to more than 10,000 homes around the Santa Clarita area. Extreme heat and drought have created prime conditions for a major blaze in what has already been a particularly intense fire season. It is still unknown what sparked the fire, which broke out on Friday afternoon.
Updates on road closures, evacuation orders and shelters continue to develop rapidly. We hope you are staying safe and avoiding the area if at all possible.