Moreno Valley, California. (January 21, 2025): As the wildfires continue to roar across southern California, members of the Army National Guard and the Marines have joined Air Force firefighters battling the blazes outside Los Angeles. In this photo by Captain Johnny Chau, firefighters from March Air Reserve Base assist in fire suppression by locating and extinguishing residual fires and “hot spots” that might reignite.

Currently, there are over 1,800 California National Guardsmen, up over a thousand since last week, who are assisting firefighters and maintaining order. Military Police units have bolstered local law enforcement efforts to control traffic and prevent looting. Meanwhile, five hundred active-duty Marines stationed at Camp Pendleton along with ten Navy helicopters equipped with water delivery buckets have joined the relief efforts. Following up from last week, the Air National Guard flew six more flights during the weekend, dropping more than 16,000 gallons of fire suppressant.

The blazes continue to be the worst economic natural disaster in recent history. The Los Angeles fire damage and economic loss is far higher than the deadly Maui wildfires ($13-$16 billion) and even those of Hurricane Helene ($250 billion).

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials say they are making an "hour-by-hour, day-by-day determination" as to what additional requirements may be needed. Once again, America’s National Guard and Reserves are there when we need them most.