Get the Facts: Are California National Guard members being pulled from wildfires to go to LA?
California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday said that the Trump administration's deployment of the National Guard to Los Angeles has left firefighting crews short-staffed as the state enters fire season.
Related video above: Appeals court grants Trump control over National Guard in Los Angeles protests
Sister station KCRA reached out to the California Military Department, or Cal Guard, to verify the governor's claims.
Cal Guard confirmed that "well over" half of the service members who comprise Joint Task Force Rattlesnake, whose mission is to work alongside Cal Fire in fire prevention and suppression, were federally called up and sent to Los Angeles.
The task force typically includes over 300 California National Guard members.
A spokesperson with Cal Guard explained that the members are full-time, Cal Fire-qualified and work year-round to help with fire safety, mitigation and suppression efforts. That means when they are not actively deployed to a fire or emergency, they're taking part in reducing fuels, training and other Cal Fire-related projects.
"Joint Task Force Rattlesnake (JTFRS) crews are never on standby," the statement from the spokesperson read.
Gov. Newsom said the loss of those team members has already been felt among crews battling the Monte Fire in San Diego.
The Monte Fire sparked around 3 p.m. Tuesday, forcing evacuation orders and warnings. Three firefighters were injured in connection with the fire, Cal Fire said. As of Wednesday afternoon, the fire had spread across 868 acres.
"We’re actively seeing the dangerous results of pulling the National Guard’s Task Force Rattlesnake off of critical firefighting missions," Newsom said in a statement, in part.
The governor further alleges that President Donald Trump is "endangering Californians" by deploying National Guard members.
However, while Newsom's office said the task force's understaffing was creating an "unnecessary strain," it also noted that Cal Fire has been expanding its workforce over the last five years, including adding an average of 1,800 full-time and 600 seasonal positions annually.
