10/26/2026
Three firefighters. Miles of desert highway.
Medic Engine 52 responded to a truck fire on southbound Interstate 15 at Fort Irwin Road on the evening of October 25. These photos show the conditions firefighters faced.
Station 52 in Harvard is staffed by a full-time, three-person crew: a captain, an engineer and a firefighter-paramedic. Across the desert, long distances between communities and fire stations create a different kind of response challenge along the I-15 corridor toward Las Vegas and Interstate 40.
A three-person engine company has to balance several jobs at once. At a complex highway emergency, that can include establishing command, operating the engine and water supply, deploying hose, and providing patient care. When an incident involves multiple patients, a crew with one paramedic faces additional demands while more help travels to the scene.
Regional resources and cooperating agencies are important to that system, including County Fire resources in Helendale and Baker and partners such as Barstow Fire and Marine Corps Logistics Base fire personnel. Those resources may have significant distances to cover while their own communities still need emergency services.
Large truck fires can also require extended work to reach concealed burning material. When needed and available, heavy equipment can be provided through Caltrans or County Fire's operators.
Local 935's goal is four-person staffing to give engine companies another firefighter for the work that must happen simultaneously. In a region where additional resources can be many miles away, staffing is part of both effective emergency response and maintaining service for the next call.
