Bay Area fire crews leaping into the fight against Los Angeles infernos

LOS ANGELES — For the firefighters of Northern California, Thursday was payback time. Dozens of fire engines from more than a dozen Bay Area and Wine Country fire departments arrived in ritzy Bel-Air early Thursday to pitch in at the still-smoldering Skirball fire. “We’re just repaying the favor,” said Sonoma Valley Fire Department engineer Bryan Carlson. “These guys helped us during our firestorm. Now it’s our turn. It’s what we all do.” The names on the sides of the engines parked on Morago Drive at the roped-off entrance to one of Southern California’s toniest enclaves read like a Bay Area atlas.