Manteca, for the past several months, has had anywhere from 8 to 12 firefighters battling wildfires throughout California.

The arrangement with the state Office of Emergency Services covers the pay for the firefighters as well as costs related to the engines that are dispatched.

The two engines — a Type 1 (a typical fire engine) and a Type 3 (designed for wildland fires with a higher clearance) — were provided to the city by the OES.

When they are not used for wildfires, Manteca has the ability to use them as backup engines.

Fire Chief Dave Marques indicated the city has had to use the engines a number of times to handle calls in Manteca when frontline engines are out of service for repairs.

The bottom line is the state picks up the expense of the deployment — wages and the cost of operating the engines.

The city also benefits by having reliable backup engines.

The overtime wages the firefighters receive do not count toward pensions meaning the city incurs no long-term liability by working with the state when needed to tackle wildfires and other disasters.

Eight Manteca firefighters are currently helping battle the Park Fire that continues to burn northeast of Chico.

There are 5,638 personnel assigned to the Park Fire, 407 engines, 18 helicopters, 108 dozers, and 216 water tenders

The  blaze that started July 24 has now burned 429,263 acres. It is 39 percent contained as of 10 p.m. Monday.

The fire has destroyed 641 structures and damaged 52 structures.

The ongoing work of firefighters on the ground, with support from tactical aviation resources, has kept the Park Fire within its existing footprint.

There was no new growth on the Park Fire and any remaining heat within the fire’s edge continues to be eliminated through the firefighters’ effort to remove or extinguish all burning or smoldering material along containment lines. Crews and heavy equipment have also worked to remove hazardous trees along roadways and the fire perimeter, and continue with suppression repair efforts, or returning the disturbed areas to as natural a state as possible.

The fire is currently the fourth largest in California.

It has burned 32,494 more acres than the August 2020 SCU Lightning Complex at No. 5. That fire burned 396,624 acres in Santa Clara, Alameda, Contra Costa, Merced and Stanislaus counties as in Sab Joaquin County west of Tracy.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com