Fire engines have been rolling in and out of the Peninsula to help California battle more than 2,000 blazes since late May.

San Mateo County fire departments have sent 12 strike teams under a mutual aid agreement.

A strike team is made up of five fire engines staffed by four firefighters each, with a single battalion chief to supervise them and another battalion chief being trained to supervise.

The firefighters' duties during their 24-hour shifts have ranged from clearing brush to protecting homes. Their stints have ranged from a week to 10 days, with a day off after each shift. They usually have to sleep in chairs or on their trucks.

Since the fire season began in late May, 2,010 blazes have broken out throughout the state, of which 1,983 have been contained, the California Department of Foresty and Fire Protection's Web site shows. The fires have scorched more than 866,000 acres so far; the fire season typically does not end until September or October.

In San Mateo County, three strike teams have been deployed four times to fight fires in Butte County and elsewhere.

"The last few years, we have been sending resources out of the county pretty regularly," said Foster City Fire Chief Tom Reaves, who coordinates the San Mateo County response. "There are fires still burning, so I can get a call as soon as I hang up this phone."

Some strike teams from San Mateo County returned Sunday.

Central County Fire

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Battalion Chief Ed Barton, who returned July 6, started a four-day shift Tuesday to fill in for people recently assigned to strike teams. He protected homes at the Shasta Lightning Complex Fire by setting controlled fires to burn brush that could otherwise fuel a wildfire.

"That got a little intense, but we had a helicopter supporting us," Barton said. "We were right on the Sacramento (River), so that helped us."

The proximity to the river allowed the helicopter to dump water and reload quickly, which was a big help on the hilly terrain, Barton said. None of the houses they protected was lost.

Palo Alto Battalion Chief Don Dudak also commanded a strike team that had the task of protecting homes. His firefighters were sent to the Concow Fire near the town of Paradise. They monitored the fire across the Feather River Canyon from the town. That fire is about 75 percent contained and should be fully contained next week, forestry department officials said.

"We watched the fire on the other side of the canyon. It was a lot of fire in a small area," Dudak said.

The smoke was so thick that at times it was hard to track the fire and it prevented aircraft from helping, he added. His strike team prepared to protect the homes by sizing up which ones could be defended should the fire jump the canyon and by spraying fire-resistant gel on the residences.

With all of the firefighters and trucks being sent around the state, local fire departments have had to take steps to keep the Peninsula protected. That has meant longer shifts for some firefighters and putting reserve trucks back in service.

Reach Mark Abramson at mabramson@dailynewsgroup.com.