The 15 Oregon strike teams mobilized to help control wildfires in the Los Angeles area arrived in Southern California on Thursday. Eleven of the teams were issued assignments on Friday morning, mostly on the destructive Palisades Fire, which has destroyed thousands of homes and businesses.

The Oregon crews working in Pacific Palisades and Malibu include 300 firefighters and 75 engines, including personnel from Bend and Redmond fire departments. The firefighters will be deployed for up to 14 days and are protecting homes and other other buildings, according to a release from the Oregon State Fire Marshal. The teams will be patrolling the area for hotspots while working alongside CAL Fire and other agencies.

Crews will be providing relief for Los Angeles firefighters, many of whom have been working around the clock since Tuesday, battling multiple fires across Los Angeles County that have laid waste to entire communities and killed at least 10 people.

Prior to arriving in Southern California, the strike teams stopped in the Sacramento area to complete mandatory vehicle safety checks. Oregon State Fire Marshal agency administrator Ian Yocum described the safety checks as a “critical” part of the mission.

“With moving this amount of equipment and firefighters, safety has to be our highest priority,” said Yocum.

Oregon is sending crews from multiple agencies, including the Oregon State Fire Marshal and the Oregon Department of Forestry. Some Oregon firefighters are still on the road, en route to Los Angeles.

Kimberley Johnson, an engine boss with the Oregon Department of Forestry in Sisters, said her team was still in the Sacramento area on Friday and expected to be in L.A. by Saturday.

“Spirits are high. We are looking forward to getting engaged and helping,” said Johnson.

The deployment is one of the largest out-of-state responses the Oregon fire service has supported. In recent years Oregon firefighters have also been deployed to Canada, Australia, California and other areas.