Built for the next fire: How Glenwood hand crews are preparing for wildfire season

At Glenwood Fire Center, Cal Fire hand crews prepare for the next wildfire season in Santa Cruz County.

Located in La Honda, in San Mateo County, the newly established Glenwood Fire Center has quickly become an important part of Cal Fire’s wildfire response network along the Central Coast.

The station, which consists of around 80 personnel, was created in response to a growing need for firefighters trained in both wildfire suppression and vegetation management across Santa Cruz and San Mateo counties.

Officials say recent destructive fires, including the CZU Lightning Complex fire in 2020, underscored the importance of expanding local hand crew resources.

“This is the first hand crew station in San Mateo and Santa Cruz County,” said Battalion Chief Travis Pridemore. “The CZU fire really highlighted the need for hand crews in this area, for fuel reduction projects and fire response.”

The Glenwood hand crew was established in 2024, with crews moving into the current facility in La Honda in late October 2025. Unlike traditional engine companies that respond with fire engines and water, hand crews are specialized teams trained to fight fires in rugged terrain that vehicles cannot reach.

Armed with chainsaws, fire axes and other hand tools, firefighters build fire lines, conduct fire suppression during active fires by extinguishing hotspots, cutting burning materials away from containment lines, preventing spot fires and more.

“This crew’s primary focus is hazardous fuels reduction and emergency response,” said Fire Captain Matthew Spanos. “We’re providing training every day to make sure that we are ready for whatever may come our way. Cal Fire is an all-risk department, so we train for whatever possibly comes our way.”

The station’s crews cover a unique response area that includes portions of Santa Cruz, San Mateo and Santa Clara counties. Their proximity to the coast presents different fuel conditions and terrain challenges than many inland Cal Fire units face.

As summer approaches, firefighters at Glenwood are undergoing annual readiness exercises required of every Cal Fire hand crew in the state. Known as a “fire preparedness exercise,” the drill tests a crew’s ability to rapidly deploy from vehicles, maintain safe spacing, inspect equipment and demonstrate knowledge of wildfire safety protocols.

Crews rehearse Cal Fire’s 10 standard fire orders, 18 watch-out situations and LCES, shorthand for lookouts, communications, escape routes and safety zones. Firefighters also complete tool inspections and timed physical challenges that simulate the demands of fire-line work.

One of the most grueling portions includes a 4-mile hike while carrying up to 60 pounds of equipment, which crews must complete within strict time requirements before moving on to cutting exercises based on fuel type and terrain. After that, crews are required to cut a specified distance within an hour.

“It’s a proficiency drill the entire state has to go through,” Pridemore said. “It ensures crews are proficient and safe heading into fire season.”

For many firefighters, hand crews serve as the foundation of a long-term Cal Fire career. New hires often begin on hand crews before moving into engines, bulldozers, aviation or other specialties within the department. Firefighters are required to earn certifications, including Firefighter 1 training and emergency medical certifications, before being hired.

The average firefighter at Glenwood is in their mid-20s, though the station includes firefighters ranging from the 20s into their 50s. Many come from across California, while others are local to Santa Cruz County.

Spanos described the firefighters as highly motivated self-starters willing to work in physically demanding and unpredictable conditions.

“These are people who like being outdoors and want to challenge themselves,” Spanos said. “There’s a lot of camaraderie here.”

For firefighter Joel Ramos, joining Cal Fire represented a turning point in his life. Before joining Cal Fire, Ramos had been incarcerated while in high school. While locked up, he heard of the inmate fire crews and enrolled in the Pine Grove Youth Conservation Camp, which is a state-run firefighting and vocational training camp for young people involved in California’s juvenile justice system. 

Ramos said the program helped him earn his diploma, certifications and prepare physically and mentally for fire service. From there, he joined the California Conservation Camp before eventually joining Cal Fire.

“I do feel like this is my calling.  This is what I want to do,” Ramos said. 

Ramos said the demanding nature of hand-crew work creates strong bonds among firefighters, who live and work closely together for long periods of time.

“We cook together, clean together, work together,” he said. “I feel like it’s a home away from home.”

His experience includes fighting the Palisades fire in Los Angeles, where crews spent 21 days battling flames and protecting homes in early 2025.

“You see people running from their houses and losing everything,” Ramos said. “It reminds you why this work matters.”

Recently promoted Fire Captain Anthony Akin said he hopes to help establish a strong identity and culture at Glenwood as the station continues to grow.

A Santa Cruz native whose father also served as a firefighter in the same crew, Akin joined Cal Fire eight years ago after attending the Monterey Peninsula College Fire Academy and working as an EMT.

Now assigned to Glenwood, Akin says he sees potential in the station’s younger firefighters.

“I think they’re young, they’re full of good ideas, they’re strong. Everybody seems to be positive,” Akin said.

When asked what his plans for the future are, Akin said, “I want to leave my mark on this place, because this is a special place, and this is a special opportunity to be here.”

As California enters another potentially dangerous wildfire season, Glenwood Fire Center officials say preparation remains constant.

Whether cutting vegetation in the Santa Cruz Mountains, training on fireline safety or responding to emergencies across the Central Coast, crews at Glenwood are preparing to protect Santa Cruz County.

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