When large fires burn throughout the state, it is not uncommon for mutual aid requests to pour into Alameda County.

When they do, firefighters serving in various jurisdictions here caravan to the different areas to lend a hand.

As of the start of the weekend, 69 firefighters from Alameda County were assigned to four out-of-county fire sites.

Since June 19, 364 firefighters from the agencies within Alameda County have been dispatched to four major sites: the Butte and Basin complexes, and the Shasta and Piute fires, said Aisha Knowles of the Alameda County Fire Department.

Crews from Alameda, Newark, Livermore and Oakland were dispatched this week to the Piute Fire in Kern County, a blaze that has burned nearly 35,000 acres since June 28. Some 66 firefighters from Newark, Piedmont, Emeryville and Oakland have aided in fighting the 68,000-acre Shasta Fire since June 23.

An additional 68 firefighters from Alameda County, Albany, Berkeley, the East Bay Regional Park District and Oakland have lent a hand at the Basin Complex fire near Big Sur since June 19. That blaze has charred 72,000 acres.

The largest contingent of local crews has been sent to the Butte Complex fire in Butte County, where about 110 firefighters from Fremont, Hayward, Oakland, Lawrence Livermore Lab and Alameda County have fought a fire that has burned more than 49,000 acres since June 21.

In addition to the firefighters, Fremont has sent a battalion

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chief to lead crews from North and South Dakota, said Fremont Fire Capt. Gerry Fogel.

The majority of these firefighters work 24-hour shifts and are gone for seven days at a time before another crew from their parent fire department is sent to replace them.

At these fire sites, they've done a multitude of tasks ranging from fighting blazes to building lengthy fire hoses to setting controlled backfires to reduce the amount of flammable material in the area, according to officials.

And while they are fighting these fires, residents they normally serve do not see a difference in service, Fogel said.

"When one engine is out, we just replace them with another," the fire captain said.

In terms of finances, the participating fire agencies' parent cities or county also do not feel an effect because all costs are reimbursed by the state, Union City Assistant Fire Chief Andy Smith said.

Smith said participation in statewide efforts is important because during large events, no single agency can handle it alone.

"No one can work some of these catastrophic events by themselves," he said. "We also would expect in return that during major events in our area, such as an earthquake, that we would be able to use the same system because it is reciprocal."

Staff writer Ben Aguirre Jr. can be reached at 510-353-7011 or baguirre@bayareanewsgroup.com.