MEXICO CITY (Reuters) – Mexico sent a group of firefighters to California on Saturday to help teams battle the wildfires ravaging parts of Los Angeles.
“A humanitarian aid team is on its way to Los Angeles, California,” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum wrote on X on Saturday morning, posting photos of firefighters holding Mexican and California flags and standing on the runway in front of two planes.
“We are a country of charity and unity,” he added.
Six wildfires have simultaneously swept through neighboring Los Angeles County since Tuesday, killing at least 11 people and damaging or destroying 10,000 buildings. Taxes are expected to increase when firefighters are able to conduct house-to-house raids.
California Governor Gavin Newsom thanked Mexico in a message to X sent Friday after the shipment was announced.
“California is deeply grateful for President Sheinbaum's support as we work to suppress the wildfires in Los Angeles,” he wrote.