Every day, 110 Fresno firefighters are ready to serve the community, not knowing what call will come their way.<\/p>\n
Josh Sellers with the Fresno Fire Department says 2025 started on a much busier note than 2026.<\/p>\n
“This time last year, we were sending resources down to Southern California to help battle the large fires raging there,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n
Sellers says while crews assisted the state during devastating moments, crews were also busy at home.<\/p>\n
2025 wrapped up with large numbers.<\/p>\n
“Right now, we can say that we have already responded to over 50,000 emergency calls for service in the city and of those over 6,000 were fires,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n
Sellers says about 900 of the fires were either vacant buildings or homes, while others ended in heartbreak for families.<\/p>\n
He takes great pride in knowing the department gives their all when responding to every call.<\/p>\n
“It’s not every day that you get to go to work and make a real difference, see a real difference right away. Anytime you have the opportunity to help someone, it’s an amazing feeling,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n
The city also invested in fire safety last year, including renovating Station 12 on Ashlan Avenue and purchasing life-saving gear.<\/p>\n
“We did see body armor purchased for all of our frontline apparatus making the job a little safer for firefighters,” Sellers said.<\/p>\n
A new approach to mitigate exposure to chemicals tied to cancer is also a top priority moving forward.<\/p>\n
Class 80 will be finishing the academy in the Spring, welcoming new faces to the department.<\/p>\n
For news updates, follow Elisa Navarro on Facebook<\/a>, Twitter<\/a> and Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n